THE “VOTE REPUBLICAN” BANNER that Brunswick Republicans say was the target of attempted vandalism.
Brunswick’s Republicans have taken umbrage with what they said were two attempts over the weekend by vandals to remove a banner at their new Bath Road headquarters.
“We put it up on Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon, approximately five or six hours after it went up, someone tried to pull it down, and wasn’t successful. On Sunday, we put it up around 10 in the morning and by noon it was almost completely torn off the stanchion it was connected to,” said Jonathan Crimmins, chairman of the Brunswick Republican Town Committee.
The vertical banner still hangs on a pole near the street by the headquarters, encouraging people to “Vote Republican.” It appeared undamaged Tuesday. “We’ve had other signs that have been defaced, torn out of the ground” at the headquarters, Crimmins said.
Vandalism at the office was “disheartening,” in part, because this is the first Brunswick Republican office to open in the traditionally left-leaning town since 2004, said Crimmins.
The new office opened Oct. 18.
Candidate signs have also been defaced and damaged in town.
“We’ve lost 25-30 of the governor’s signs that I know about. We’ve had other signs for Sen. Collins ripped apart,” Crimmins said. “It’s been an ongoing situation. It’s not totally uncommon to find vandalism like this throughout the course of an election.”
Speaking for the Brunswick Democratic Town Committee, Benet Pols said he hadn’t heard of any vandalism taking place this election cycle at his party’s local headquarters.
“I haven’t heard anything at this location, but individual candidates gripe about signs all the time,” Pols said. “It’s an ongoing source of minor irritation for candidates.”
Pols then added: “The truth is, if you’re serious about your election, you don’t gripe about signs.”
Crimmins, who said a police report was filed over the vandalism of the banner, said it was worth alerting the media about the vandalism.
“You may disagree with my ideas, but in a town like this and country such as this, you should be able to have a disagreement without defacing other people’s property.”
jswinconeck@timesrecord.com
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
