Vandals Strike GOP Offices In Duncan

Vandals struck the Republican headquarters in Duncan this morning, said Stephens County GOP official Wayne Watts.

"Dennis Johnson, candidate for House District 50, went to open the headquarters offices at 901 West Main in Downtown Duncan and was greeted with hot pink paintball splatters over the front and side windows and the entrance to the offices," Watts said. There were 39 individual paintball splatters over the windows facing Main Street and 9th Street.

"This culminates a cycle of vandalism to Republican candidate's signs during the last 4-6 weeks. Dennis Johnson lost several 4x8 billboard-style signs that cost several hundred dollars to produce or replace, some being destroyed to the point that they were no longer salvageable. Individual yard signs have disappeared entirely in some cases or been deliberately run over with vehicles," Watts said.

Steve Fair, Stephens County Republican chairman, said, "It looks like a deliberate attempt by the opposition to quieten our freedom of speech. In published reports in The Duncan Banner, the Democrat spokesman in Stephens County said that they had not experienced any vandalism of their signage. This may point the finger at what group is responsible for the blatant destruction of our campaign signs."

Duncan police apprehended an individual on Monday evening taking up Republican candidate signs. The officers made the individual replace the ones he was caught with. Duncan Police Captain Rick Lang said that they were researching the laws and probably would file charges on the man for "tampering with political signs" in an effort to stop the vandalism in the area.

"We appreciate the enthusiasm of the supporters in both parties," said Watts, State Committeeman for Stephens County, "and understand that this is the political process, but we certainly do not condone vandalism of any kind to anyone's property, by either party, and especially when it deals with our right of free speech."

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