Bernadette Greene-Placentia, a Democratic candidate for Congress in Arizona, disclosed this week that she was the victim of a sexual assault while repairing a campaign sign in her district northwest of Phoenix. According to a police report filed with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Greene-Placentia was attacked by two men in the early morning hours of August 14 in Sun City, a suburb of Phoenix.
Greene-Placentia said the assailants approached her from behind as she was working in a parking lot, struck her on the head, and then raped her. She reported losing consciousness during the assault and waking to find one of the men on top of her. Although her recollection of the incident is incomplete, she said she fought back, kicking her attackers until they fled.
The candidate said she initially chose not to report the attack or speak publicly about it, citing feelings of embarrassment and self-blame. She withdrew from her usual activities for several days following the assault, missing a campaign event and briefly distancing herself from colleagues and family. After some reflection on her commitments to advocate for survivors of sexual violence, Greene-Placentia decided to come forward and reported the incident to police on August 31.
Her disclosure came amid a contentious race against incumbent Republican Representative Abraham Hamadeh, who currently holds the seat with a 13-point advantage. While Greene-Placentia expressed concern that the revelation might overshadow her campaign’s focus on affordability and health care, she emphasized the importance of encouraging other survivors to speak out.
In response, Hamadeh issued a statement expressing support for a thorough investigation. He called for authorities to pursue all available evidence, including video footage from the area, to prosecute the case. Maricopa County sheriff’s detectives continue to investigate, although they have not publicly identified any suspects or released details about physical evidence.
Greene-Placentia did not seek medical treatment or a sexual assault examination after the incident, noting that she showered multiple times and washed the clothing she wore that day, which could limit forensic evidence. She described the attackers as white men, with one wearing black boots and having small feet. At one point, she believed one assailant used a profanity suggesting a political motive, but later said she was uncertain.
The candidate’s communications director, Craig Beckman, was among the first to be informed of the assault and described Greene-Placentia’s emotional state shortly after the attack. Despite suggestions from her campaign team to suspend or end her run for office, Greene-Placentia resumed campaigning with renewed determination. As a result of the incident, new security measures have been implemented, including always having staff accompany her during campaign sign work after dark and carrying a firearm for protection.
Nearly two months after the incident, Greene-Placentia has expressed a broader personal transformation concerning sexual assault advocacy. She acknowledged past skepticism toward some accusers in high-profile cases and offered an apology to women she previously doubted, committing to support survivors moving forward.