Kamala Harris billboard riddled with vandalism in North Carolina, photo shows
A billboard for presidential candidate Kamala Harris was the target of vandalism in North Carolina, a photo shows.
The pro-Harris sign appears to have been hit with multiple paintball pellets and red paint balloons, according to Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page.
The county sheriff’s office received the report of the damage early Nov. 4, less than 24 hours before Election Day voting opens in the swing state of North Carolina. Multiple polls have predicted the race between Vice President Harris, a Democrat, and former president Donald Trump, a Republican, will be close.
The damage was reported along U.S. Highway 220, near the town of Madison and a roughly 30-mile drive north from Greensboro, Page told McClatchy News in a phone interview. A photo from the sheriff’s office appears to show multiple points of impact on the sign.
Though the Rockingham County Republican Party didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ requests for comment on Nov. 4, Chair Diane Parnell told WFMY the incident was “disgraceful.”
“The Republican Party does not encourage damage such as this,” Parnell told the TV station. “Every American choosing to run for office has the freedom to make their signs public without fear of vandalism. Freedom is what those that have gone before us have fought valiantly for.”
The Rockingham County Democratic Party reported the damage done to the Your Community PAC billboard to the sheriff’s office and the advertising company, chair Jeff Webster told McClatchy News in a phone interview.
As of about 2:30 p.m. Nov. 4, Page said the case was still under investigation, and no suspects had been identified.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
