A Democratic candidate for Congress in Arizona says she was attacked and raped by two men while checking campaign signs late at night.
Bernadette Greene-Placentia, who is seeking the Democratic nomination in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, told deputies the alleged assault occurred between 2 and 3 a.m. on August 14, 2026.
According to a report from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Greene-Placentia said she had been putting up or repairing signs along the roadside before walking back to her vehicle. She described the late-night work as part of her usual campaign routine.
The allegations have not been tested in court. Authorities have not identified or arrested any suspects in connection with the reported attack.
Greene-Placentia told investigators that two unidentified men struck her in the back of the head as she headed toward her car, leaving her unconscious.
She said she later regained consciousness while one of the men was sexually assaulting her and holding her down.
The sheriff’s report states that she woke to the pain of one of the men withdrawing after sexually assaulting her while she was restrained.
She told deputies that the second man then sexually assaulted her.
Bernadette Greene-Placentia, a congressional candidate in Arizona’s 8th District, said one of the alleged attackers called her a “democratic b****” after the assault
The report says Greene-Placentia also remembered one of the men saying something similar to “not f****** worth it”
Greene-Placentia said she waited two to three days before telling her husband, Alex Placentia, about the alleged attack
Greene-Placentia told deputies she tried to fight back during the alleged assault, kicking her feet in an effort to resist.
She also recalled one of the men making a remark to the effect of “not f****** worth it,” according to the report.
She further reported that one of the suspects allegedly referred to her as a “democratic b****.”
Investigators said she could not provide detailed descriptions of either man.
She did remember that one suspect wore black boots and appeared to have small feet.
Greene-Placentia later told an officer that she did not seek immediate medical care or undergo a forensic examination following the alleged assault.
She said she initially tried to block out what had happened and did not tell anyone for several days. In the immediate aftermath, she took three showers and a bath.
Greene-Placentia was “missing in action” for two days after the alleged attack, her husband, Alex Placentia, and campaign manager Isaiah Lopez told The Phoenix New Times.
Greene-Placentia told an officer that she did not immediately seek medical attention or complete a sexual assault forensic examination after the alleged attack
The allegations have not been established in court, and no suspects have been identified or arrested in connection with the alleged attack
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Arizona Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego, who faced allegations of sexual misconduct and improper campaign spending this year, said he was ‘absolutely heartbroken’ by the news and commended her bravery
Greene-Placentia stayed at her apartment in her district while her husband called her several times from their home.
When Placentia called, she was repeatedly in the bath and at times was ‘being nauseous on the phone,’ he recalled.
Placentia said it was unusual for him to go two days without seeing his wife.
He admitted that he was hurt by the distance and began wondering whether she was hiding something from him.
On Sunday, she finally disclosed the alleged assault to campaign staff and told her husband the following day.
She told the officer she waited two to three days before confiding in her husband.
Greene-Placentia has said she believes she suffered a concussion and was covered in bruises after the attack.
The police report also noted that she reported vaginal bleeding for several days afterward.
She did not report the alleged assault to law enforcement until roughly two weeks later, later explaining that she felt embarrassed and wanted to forget what had happened before ultimately deciding to come forward publicly.
Her campaign communications director, Craig Beckman, told the Daily Mail that speaking publicly about the alleged assault has been difficult for Greene-Placentia, but she decided to share her story because she knows many survivors struggle in silence.
‘Bernadette is still processing the trauma of the assault, but she understands the importance of having these conversations.’
In the days and weeks after the alleged assault, Greene-Placentia said she became ‘a very angry person,’ while her husband recalled her cycling through ‘crying times and angry times.’
She told her husband and campaign manager that she wanted a ‘f****** rematch’ with the men she says attacked her.
‘I want to call them out. I want to like go on TV and say, ‘Let’s go again and don’t come at me from behind,’ she recalled to the Phoenix New Times.
At one point, her campaign even held a staff meeting at a gun range after she said she wanted to shoot something.
‘I know that sounds crazy,’ she said. ‘But I was just mad.’
Arizona Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego, who faced allegations of sexual misconduct and improper campaign spending this year, said he was ‘absolutely heartbroken’ by the news and commended her bravery.
‘We cannot tolerate political or sexual violence in any form. Those responsible must be held accountable,’ he wrote on X.
‘Thank you for speaking out, Bernadette. We’re with you.’