Some St. Joseph residents aren’t used to seeing anyone other than somebody white campaigning for office. Police were called over the weekend on state House candidate Chokwe Pitchford and county commission candidate Rayonte Bell along with one other person they were with. Pitchford says the officers were just fine when they approached them, and says there wasn’t any trouble.
“They were very nice,” Pitchford tells our partners at WSBT-22. “They walked up peacefully and said they had a report of three black men in jumpsuits who are out here skulking and looking in windows and peering into cars.’ We were like, ‘that is not us.'”
His opponent, state Representative Pauline Wendzel, has also had police called on her while campaigning.
“When it first happened to me, I was surprised, too. But, I’ve gotten used to it now,” says Wendzel.
Congressman Fred Upton tells our partners at WSBT 22 he was upset the police were called on the men as they campaigned near his house and said it was “most unfortunate.”
