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Bernadette Greene-Placentia described being struck from behind and losing consciousness as she walked across a parking lot near 99th Avenue and Bell Road in Sun City shortly after 2 a.m. on August 14 to fix a damaged campaign sign. According to her account published by the Phoenix New Times, she awoke to find a man sexually assaulting her while he made comments that she interpreted as including the phrase “Democratic bitch.” A second man then approached and pushed at her leg, but she responded by kicking at him, after which one of the assailants said “not even worth it” before the pair left her face down in the lot, the newspaper reported.
Greene-Placentia initially hesitated to come forward, telling the Phoenix New Times she felt embarrassed and “just wanted to forget it.” She informed her husband and campaign staff several days after the attack before filing a report with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office on August 31, according to details shared with The Guardian and the Arizona Republic. The candidate did not seek a medical examination or sexual assault forensic kit in the aftermath, and her memory of the two white male attackers remains incomplete, which she links to a possible concussion from the head injury.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to USA Today and Newsweek that it received the report on August 31 and that its investigation remains active without any identified suspects. Agency spokespeople have declined to discuss potential camera footage or other evidence, citing the open case in statements relayed across multiple outlets. Greene-Placentia had routinely conducted nighttime sign repairs throughout the summer to avoid the desert heat, a pattern noted in coverage by the New York Post and ABC News.
The Democratic nominee, a former long-haul trucker and small-business owner who relocated to the district with her husband in 2017, said she went public to support other victims of sexual assault. “I didn’t feel like I could keep saying that if I weren’t also fighting for women that are victims of sexual assault,” Greene-Placentia told the Phoenix New Times, referencing her campaign trail messages about advocating for Arizonans. She had withdrawn from public events for two days immediately after the incident, during which time her behavior appeared noticeably altered to those around her, the outlet reported.
Republican Rep. Abraham Hamadeh, the incumbent seeking reelection in the race, called for authorities to pursue the claims aggressively. “I have read the disturbing story and call upon authorities to investigate these serious allegations thoroughly, including finding all possible camera footage of the time and place in order to prosecute the crime to the fullest extent of the law,” Hamadeh stated, as quoted by the BBC and Just the News. He added that no American should become a victim of a crime in their own community, according to responses compiled by AZFamily and other regional outlets.
Greene-Placentia faces long odds in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, a heavily Republican seat spanning northwest Valley communities such as Sun City, Surprise, Peoria and Anthem. Hamadeh captured the district by a 13-percentage-point margin in 2024, multiple outlets including Newsweek and the Arizona Republic have noted in their election coverage. The allegations emerged on October 7 as early voting began for the November midterms, adding visibility to a contest viewed as a Republican stronghold.
