SEQUIM — Ted Miller, challenger to veteran Sequim City Council member Walt Schubert in the Nov. 3 election, fired off an unusual salvo Monday.
He believes “a systematic effort” is afoot to “steal or destroy his campaign signs,” according to a statement.
“Nearly half of Ted Miller’s campaign signs located within three blocks of the residence of his opponent, Walt Schubert, have been vandalized or stolen, including four signs at two different times across the street from Mr. Schubert’s residence. Signs in other locations have largely been spared,” Miller wrote.
“Apparently, some of Mr. Schubert’s supporters can’t stand the thought of his having any competition at all,” the statement continues.
“That’s ridiculous,” Schubert said Monday.
“He can say whatever he wants to say, but if I found anybody that supports me was [stealing or vandalizing signs], I would be very upset. I would tell them to either stop or I would turn them in.”
‘Hundreds’ of signs
Miller’s statement went on to say that “in contrast, there have been few thefts of Walt Schubert signs (at least none reported to the police), despite the fact that he has hundreds of signs scattered around Sequim.”
Schubert responded that he has a lot of signs but not hundreds; he ordered 50 and is using a handful of the ones from past campaigns.
Schubert first won election to the City Council in November 2000; he has served continuously since January 2001 and is making his third bid for re-election.
This time around, he said that instead of asking people whether he could post placards on their properties, they came to him.
Schubert’s signs vandalized
And this year — for the first time, Schubert said — his signs have been vandalized.
But while Miller contacted Sequim police about the disappearance of and damage to his campaign signs Schubert has not.
“Making an issue out of it just makes it worse,” Schubert said.
“I’m not one that cries about things that happen. If you’re going to get out there and run, this is the kind of thing that happens in the world we unfortunately live in now.”
Miller, an attorney and former CIA analyst, said he has posted “40 to 50” campaign signs, at a cost of about $10 each.
Soon after filing for candidacy in June, he said he wouldn’t put up any until Labor Day weekend.
But “some of my volunteers wanted to put some signs up early, since Schubert had put up hundreds of signs on every vacant lot around plus many houses for sale or rent, and I relented.”
$1,000 reward
Miller is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those he believes have stolen or vandalized his placards.
Sequim Police Officer Maris Turner said Monday that her department has received two reports from Miller of campaign sign theft and damage.
The most recent, written Monday, lists four signs that disappeared from the area near Schubert’s home in downtown Sequim; Miller believes they were stolen.
An earlier report from Sept. 15 states that five of Miller’s signs were damaged on West Cedar Street at North Alder Street, near Schubert’s home.
The Police Department has no leads nor suspects, Turner said.
She urged anyone with information about the theft or vandalism of Miller’s signs — and anyone who has witnessed other suspicious activity — to dial 9-1-1 or for non-emergencies the Sequim Police Department’s business line, 360-683-7227.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley reporter Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com
