Campaign Sign Cut, Tossed

WILLS POINT—Debbie Davis had to go on an unwanted pickup errand Wednesday afternoon.

Davis, the Democratic Party candidate for Van Zandt County Sheriff, found one of her campaign signs lying in pieces on the road.

"Somebody had taken a knife and chopped it up into about six pieces. The person had taken it off a man’s fence. Someone came by the (Wills Point) police station and told me they had found one of my signs," Davis said.

The sign had been mounted on a fence near the intersection of U.S. Highway 80 and Farm-to-Market Road 2965.

It was the second such campaign sign vandalism incident Davis has suffered this year.

"Another one looked like it had been shot at with a .45 pistol. It had four holes in it," she said.

That incident occurred in March, shortly before the party primary.

Van Zandt County Democratic Party Chairman James Foreman said campaign sign vandalism is an ongoing problem for both parties.

He noted that such problems seem to crop up in the Wills Point, Van and Ben Wheeler areas in particular.

"It’s really not uncommon every two years. It costs a lot of money, though, especially if you put up very many," Foreman said.

Davis said her sign that was destroyed in Wills Point cost $85.

"People should realize, irregardless of which party it is, they shouldn’t be tearing up or taking up signs," Foreman said. "The election will be over in about a month so just leave them alone.

"I do wish someone would catch the people doing it and stop it. It’s not fair for candidates running for office to bear the expense for losing signs," he added.