A Democratic candidate for Arizona's 8th Congressional District has alleged that she was raped in August while repairing a campaign sign.

Bernadette Greene-Placentia told the Phoenix New Times that the attack occurred shortly after 2 a.m. on August 14 in a parking lot near 99th Avenue and Bell Road in Sun City. She said she stopped to fix a damaged sign as she had done multiple times during the campaign. Greene-Placentia stated that she was struck on the head, lost consciousness, and awoke to find an assailant sexually assaulting her.

She recalled a second man approaching and pushing her leg before she kicked at him, after which he said something to the effect of "not even worth it" and the two left. Greene-Placentia said she heard one attacker use language that sounded like "Democratic b---h." She reported the incident to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office on August 31.

The sheriff's office confirmed that a report was filed on that date and that an investigation is ongoing. No suspects have been identified, and officials have declined to provide further details.

Greene-Placentia, a truck driver and small business owner, is challenging Republican incumbent Rep. Abe Hamadeh in the heavily Republican district. She told her campaign staff about the alleged assault a few days after it happened and informed her husband the next day. She said she initially did not want to report the matter due to embarrassment but decided to come forward publicly on October 7 to support other victims.

The campaign has confirmed the timing of the alleged incident. Greene-Placentia has described fragmented memories possibly linked to a concussion from the blow to her head.

The allegation comes weeks before the November election in a district that includes Sun City, Surprise, Peoria, and parts of Glendale and Anthem.