Congress candidate went to fix a campaign sign – and woke up to a horrifying nightmare

Bernadette Green-Palentia, a Democratic congressional candidate from Arizona, revealed that she was brutally raped while fixing campaign signs. She did not immediately contact authorities, and her Republican opponent is demanding a thorough investigation.

Bernadette Green-Palentia, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 8th district, revealed that she was brutally raped in a parking lot in a Phoenix suburb while fixing campaign signs. According to her, the attack occurred on August 14 in the Sun City area. She described two white men involved but admitted she did not see their faces clearly. The candidate did not immediately contact authorities and only filed a complaint with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office about two weeks later. She explained that feelings of shame and a desire to suppress the incident prevented her from reporting in time. Green-Palentia secluded herself for two days in a separate apartment from her husband and avoided public appearances. She did not seek medical treatment or undergo an examination to document the sexual assault. Her Republican opponent, Congressman Abraham Hamadeh, called on authorities to thoroughly investigate and locate security camera footage. The candidate expressed concern that revealing the incident would be seen as a political attempt to gain sympathy but said she decided to break her silence out of responsibility toward victims of sexual assault. The police investigation is ongoing.