A dispute over campaign signs along state Route 502 has drawn attention to what multiple candidates describe as a wave of sign vandalism and thefts affecting campaigns across Clark County.
Three large campaign signs posted near a busy stretch of state Route 502 West of Dollar (or Dollars) Corner (one for Charter Review Commission District 5, Position 3 candidate Randi Knott, one for the Clark County Democrats promoting affordable housing, and one for Battle Ground School District No. 119, District 1 candidate Jennifer Heine-Withee) became the focus of controversy this week. Two of the signs, belonging to Knott and the Clark County Democrats, were found destroyed Sunday, Oct. 25, while Heine-Withee’s remained intact. All three had been placed within the public right-of-way near street lights.
Knott filed a complaint with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, alleging the homeowner adjacent to the site, who she said believes the area is part of his private property, is responsible for tearing down the signs shortly after Heine-Withee asked Clark County Democrats Party Chair Tim Probst to remove the signs through email.
Heine-Withee told The Reflector she contacted the Clark County Democrats before the vandalism occurred to complain that the Knott and Democratic Party signs had been placed directly in front of hers, alleging they were blocking its visibility east and west. In her email, she said the two signs should not be there, as the nearby homeowners were conservative. She stressed, however, that she had no involvement in or knowledge of the subsequent vandalism.
“We have to be aware of each other's signs and be polite, putting up a sign to block another candidate's sign … That's just not the way you do things, and people get frustrated during political campaigns,” she said. “Sometimes people act out on it, but I think if everybody were aware of other candidates’ signs and were polite, we would probably have far less incidents like this. I think politics have kind of gotten dirty.”
Knott, however, is skeptical.
The damage, some Democratic Party-endorsed candidates say, has highlighted a broader problem, as their signs have been repeatedly targeted across the county.
Lorri Sibley, a candidate for Battle Ground School District No. 119, District 1, said around 20 of her signs have disappeared in the last two months. She noted some of her missing yard signs costed $70 to $80.
“We’ve been watching closely because I was warned that it would probably happen,” Sibley said. “It’s a bummer because it’s just not kind.”
Other Democratic Party-endorsed candidates including Cathie Garber (Charter Review Commission District 2, Position 2), Amber Kent (Charter Review Commission District 4, Position 1), John Bower (Charter Review Commission District 2, Position 1), Patrick Adigweme (Charter Review Commission District 1, Position 1) Adrienne Mason (Charter Review Commission District 1, Position 2), and Leah Perkel (Charter Review Commission District 1, Position 3) confirmed similar issues ranging from missing to damaged signs across the county. Several said their signs disappeared within days of being placed, often while nearby signs for opposing candidates remained untouched.
Bower said one of his signs near the Salmon Creek area was torn off its metal frame and tossed into a nearby bush earlier this month. In contrast, the opponent’s signs stayed standing, claiming the incident appeared targeted and politically motivated.
John Zingale, running for Charter Review Commission District 5, Position 1, told The Reflector his experience running for office in years past has led him to not post signs until closer to election day.
“I would put [signs] out at 2 o'clock in the morning and sometimes at 9 o'clock in the morning it would be gone, and these things are not cheap,” he said, noting he has paid $250-$300 for 4-by-8-foot signs that later got damaged.
“Regardless of where you stand on the person and what they're saying in their campaign, it's a First Amendment right to put this stuff out, so no one should be touching anything.”
In a statement submitted to The Reflector on Oct. 27, Clark County Democrats Vice Chair Donna Sinclair said the party is “disappointed” by a pattern of theft and destruction that she described as extending beyond typical election-season mischief.
“These signs represent not just money, but the volunteer time and labor of community members who believe in fair elections and civic participation,” Sinclair wrote. “While we understand that vandalism can happen on all sides, the recent targeting of Charter Review candidates follows a pattern that began with online misinformation in this campaign season and has now moved into physical damage.”
She said the party does not believe opposing candidates themselves were directly involved in the vandalism, calling on the community to reject political hostility.
“Politics in our community have become increasingly ugly, marked by attack ads, misinformation, and vitriol that divide us instead of bringing us together. We are sad to see this trend take root here in Clark County and call on all of our neighbors to reject this brand of politics,” she wrote.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to accurately reflect the candidates’ positions.
