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10/15/2021 12:00 AMranford Republican Town Committe chair Ray Ingraham has contacted Zip06/The Sound to note that an apparent recent vandalism spree damaging political signs in Branford's Short Beach section impacted signs supporting candidates of both parties; after a story posted Oct. 14 at Zip06/The Sound made note of vandalism to over two dozen Democratic candidate signs, as reported by the chair of the Democratic Town Committee (DTC). The damage included defacing political signs bearing images of two Democratic female candidates, which Zip06/The Sound verified were also the only political signs bearing photo images posted in Short Beach (see related story).
Ingraham said three to four signs with the names of GOP District 3 RTM incumbant candidate Peter Black and candidate Ralph Murray were found damaged on Oct. 10, apparently with the same red marker or paint that had damaged several of the Democratic lawn signs, and that it appeared the damage to signs from both parties was mainly in the area of Shore Drive.
Given the Democratics had posted a large number of political signs in District 3; while those posted by the GOP candidates were much fewer, the amount of damage to signs from both parties is likely proportionate, Ingraham said. Ingraham also confirmed GOP signs posted in the area don't include any photo images.
Ingraham said that, while damage to campaign signs and even theft of signs, "...is something that happens each and every year," he also was understanding to the fact that the damage done to the female candidates' images would be disconcerting.
"They took advantage of pictures on signs," Ingraham feels of the vandals, adding that, for both political parties, "...the good part is we've got a lot more women running this year than ever before."
Like the DTC chair, Ingraham said he hasn't seen any similar damage to political signs in other areas of the town.