KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Rep. Randy Dunn, D-Kansas City, has dealt with a number of his yard signs being stolen and defaced in the past weeks.
Some signs have been taken from yards and lots, while signs for candidates in other races have remain untouched. Some signs have been cut with what Dunn said appears to be a box cutter.
Dunn said he saw his opponent take the signs.
“There was a private lot that I had some signs at and I witnessed my opponent stealing my signs from that lot as well,” he said.
Dunn’s opponent, Derron Black, has gained some level of infamy in Kansas City politics. In 2013, Black took control of the microphone during Mayor Sly James’ State of the City speech and shouted obscenities.
He later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor resisting arrest charge.
In 2014, when Dunn originally won his seat, Black was disqualified from the ballot by the Missouri Ethics Commission for not timely reporting campaign contributions and expenditures.
Dunn said he has filed a police report. It’s something out of the ordinary for a House of Representatives race.
“It’s certainly not the kind of thing that you expect to happen. You expect that an election will be competitive and you will have to get out there and work, but you don’t expect for these sort of illegal tactics to take place from someone.”
When reached by phone, Black declined to comment.