Campaign sign for Jewish candidate in Arizona vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (KPHO/KTVK) – A campaign sign for a Jewish candidate running for the Arizona Senate was vandalized with a swastika.

Seth Blattman, a Democrat running for District 23, said seeing the symbol – which was drawn on his forehead on the sign – was painful.

“It was extremely sad,” he said.

For the Jewish candidate, the attack from a complete stranger is very personal.

“Someone that I’ve never met, never seen, hates me for a reason I can’t control, because of who I was born to be,” he said.

Blattman said he lost family members in the Holocaust. For him, seeing the symbol of violence on his face brings up painful emotions.

“I had a great aunt that I remember as a kid asking what the number on her arm meant,” he said.

Blattman works at his family’s furniture manufacturing company. The Scottsdale native said he wanted to get into politics to help bring people together, the very opposite of this hateful attack.

“I have family that I talk to every day, but today I haven’t spoken to them because I don’t want them to be afraid,” Blattman said Saturday.

As of Saturday, Blattman had not filed a police report, but he said he’s considering it; vandalizing a political sign is a crime in Arizona.

“I think this election season is a bit special, in terms of the level of vitriol that we’re seeing,” Blattman said.

But Blattman said he’s hopeful this is an isolated incident, one that Scottsdale doesn’t stand for.

“The overwhelming majority of the people in this community, in my community, are good people. They don’t have this hate in their heart.”

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