Bernadette Greene-Placentia, a Democratic candidate for Congress in Arizona, disclosed that she was raped in a parking area while conducting campaign sign repairs in the Phoenix suburb of Sun City. According to her account provided to the Phoenix New Times, she was rendered unconscious during the incident and regained consciousness to find an assailant on top of her.
Greene-Placentia did not immediately report the assault to law enforcement, instead filing a report with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office approximately two weeks following the alleged attack. She described feeling embarrassed about the incident and initially wanting to move past it, but ultimately determined she needed to speak publicly to support other victims of sexual assault. She noted that her commitment to advocating for Arizonans on the campaign trail compelled her to also champion women affected by sexual violence.
Following the alleged assault, the candidate withdrew from public activities for two days, remaining in a separate residence from her spouse and missing a scheduled campaign engagement. Associates noticed behavioral changes upon her return to public-facing activities. Greene-Placentia did not seek medical evaluation or undergo a sexual assault examination after the incident. She reported having incomplete recollection of events and was unable to obtain a clear view of either assailant, though she characterized them as white men. She indicated one attacker may have made a politically charged comment accompanied by a misogynistic slur, though she expressed uncertainty about this detail.
Her Republican opponent, Abraham Hamadeh, issued a statement urging thorough investigation and recovery of all available camera footage from the location and timeframe in question. A Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office spokesman confirmed the investigation remains ongoing. Greene-Placentia expressed apprehension that voters in the heavily Republican district might perceive the allegations as a political maneuver, and worried the incident could distract from her campaign messaging regarding affordability.
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