Candidates involved in county and city-level elections have recently been subjected to numerous violent, racist, homophobic and intimidating text messages, the North Carolina Board of Elections confirmed.
The threatening messages were targeted toward the Rev. Albert Reddick, who is running for Chatham County commissioner, and Nick Gallardo, who is running for mayor of Siler City. The board told WRAL News that it is investigating the messages.
Some of the messages sent to Reddick, who is Black, featured racist language and imagery. In one instance, the candidate received a photo of a gorilla with its neck tied in a noose. He went to authorities with the messages and filed a report with the Siler City Police Department.
"I was really stunned in terms of the sickness behind it and trying to grapple with it," Reddick said. "After thought and prayer and deliberation, we decided to file a complaint. We need to speak to it and let them know we are not afraid of them, but we are fearful for our life."
Gallardo said that he has received nearly 100 messages with homophobic slurs and imagery. An image of one of the texts shared by WRAL read, "I hope y'all get aids [sic] and die."
He theorized that the messages have to do with a running mate who is gay. Gallardo did not disclose the running mate's identity, saying that "it is not my business to do that."
Unlike Reddick, Gallardo has opted not to file a police report over the messages. He claims that members of the community have told him that the effort ultimately would not make a difference.
Both candidates told WRAL that they remain committed to their campaigns despite the text messages.
"I'm more ready to lead these people into change," Gallardo said.
"If a person that sick can travel to Buffalo and kill 10 people, they can do the same thing to me here," Reddick said, invoking the recent mass shooting in New York to explain why he feels energized to continue confronting racism.
Newsweek reached out to the Siler City Police Department for comment.
This is not the only recent incident involving racism to rock Chatham County. In March, reports emerged of numerous racist incidents in county schools, including a mock slave auction at the J.S. Waters School. The school district was also made aware of other incidents involving students using racial slurs.
"I want to be crystal clear: Racist, homophobic or otherwise hateful behavior or speech has no place in the Chatham County School System," Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson said in the letter sent to Newsweek by the district. "We are better than this as a school system and a community."
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Thomas Kika is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in upstate New York. His focus is reporting on crime and national ... Read more
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