Sacramento city council candidate’s campaign signs vandalized with racist slur
At least three campaign signs for Sacramento City Council candidate Jenn Chawla were defaced with racist slurs over the weekend.
Chawla, running for the District 1 seat representing North Natomas, said that the hateful vandalism is a “stark reminder” of the hatred and racism targeting religious and ethnic minorities in the community.
“It was disheartening — we’re in the most diverse districts in Sacramento, one of the most diverse in the country,” Chawla said in an interview. “I really did want to bring awareness to it because I want people to know that it’s not going to stop us or slow us down.”
Chawla was first made aware of a defaced sign on a neighbor’s private property. The campaign signs, located along Elkhorn Boulevard near Highway 99, were tagged with the same anti-Arab and anti-South Asian slur. Chawla, who is Indian, documented the vandalism on her Instagram account, choosing not to censor the term.
“We will not be ashamed of announcing to the world that this is unacceptable,” she said.
Chawla said in an interview that the Sacramento Police Department is aware of the incident and that she will move forward with filing a report. She has opted so far not to remove the signs.
The political newcomer is challenging sitting Councilmember Lisa Kaplan. She has gained the support of Mayor Kevin McCarty and Councilmember Karina Talamantes, while Kaplan retains endorsements from three fellow council members, former Mayor Darrell Steinberg and several other local elected officials.
