Maine Senate Race: Red Paint Appears at Collins Office

Red paint splattered across the sidewalk and spilled from a bucket on the front steps of the Biddeford office of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins on Monday night. The incident occurred on the eve of the election for her Senate seat. It is the second time in roughly a month that the location has been targeted.

Vandals wrote the words "BLOOD on her HANDS" in crimson on the pavement. Katie Brown, Collins' chief of staff, described the event as the latest in a series of attempts to intimidate the senator and her team. Brown noted that while the tactics are disturbing, they are not effective. She stated that the staff remains undeterred and is working.

The office is located near the site of a July shooting involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. In that incident, a law enforcement officer shot and killed Johan Sebastián Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian national. Days after that shooting, protesters forced their way through the office door while chanting for Collins to lose the seat.

A separate act of vandalism occurred in September. At that time, red spray paint spelled out the phrase "Trump whore" on the office door. The red paint dumping and sidewalk message on Monday constitute the second attack on this specific location since the September incident. Biddeford police are currently investigating the latest damage.

Troy Jackson, the Democratic challenger and former state senator, condemned the vandalism in a statement. Jackson said there is no place for vandalism and intimidation in Maine. He asserted that Collins and her staff should be able to work without anyone defacing their office. Jackson also condemned whoever carried out the act. He issued a similar statement after the September incident.

Collins is facing a challenge for her U.S. Senate seat on Tuesday. Both the Collins and Jackson campaigns did not immediately respond to requests for further comment regarding the Monday night incident. The office remains open as staff continue their work ahead of the vote.