Pennsylvania’s governor is trying to figure out who will pay to improve safety at his personal residence. Baltimore’s mayor is being questioned over a $160,000 SUV with enhanced security features. And Minnesota legislators are considering a new security unit for elected officials that would cost millions each year.
Even before the attempted attack at the White House correspondents’ dinner last weekend, a spate of political violence and a rising number of threats had rattled state and local officials asking what should be done to protect those in public office.
Then came images from the dinner that vividly amplified those concerns: High-profile attendees with security details were ushered to safety while others were left exposed to possible danger.
Now, amid the nation’s turbulent political landscape, governors, mayors, state legislators and some town council members have been seeking personal protection for themselves or their staffs, escalating the national discussion over who requires security and how to pay for it.
Local officials “are at the level of government that actually gets the most threats, and they are on the front lines of the policies and actions that Americans deal most intimately with,” said James A. Piazza, a Penn State professor who studies terrorism, political violence and violent extremism.
A December survey by Princeton University’s Bridging Divides Initiative showed that local officials’ concerns about safety continue to soar. The survey found that nearly 75 percent of officeholders are rethinking whether to engage in some political or civic activities or pursue higher office. The findings track with a 2024 report by the New York University School of Law’s Brennan Center for Justice, which found that nearly 9 out of 10 local officials reported being a victim of insults, harassment, threats or attacks.
A year ago, a man firebombed the governor’s mansion in Pennsylvania, forcing Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) and his family to evacuate. Last summer, a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband were killed, and another legislator and his wife wounded, in predawn attacks at their homes. Last month, gunshots were fired into the home of an Indianapolis city council member in apparent response to a local debate over data centers.
James Hawdon, director of the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention at Virginia Tech, said political violence and threats to lawmakers have steadily increased in recent years but have not eclipsed the upheaval during past periods, including the late 1960s and 1970s.
Still, experts say the current period is especially fraught as partisan divides deepen and political positions become more extreme.
“It is no longer just that you disagree with [the opposite party] on gun policy, or abortion, it is now that they are immoral or going to ruin the country, and a growing number of people are saying it’s okay to use violence,” Hawdon said.
In March, county commissioners in Oregon’s Lincoln County stopped holding public meetings, shifting to virtual discussions after county staff felt threatened by people who had been attending the in-person sessions.
Walter Chuck, a Lincoln County commissioner, said the decision to go remote was based on the advice of the county’s insurance company. “The meetings had just gotten too contentious,” he said, adding that the county needs to establish additional security procedures, including “reconfiguring the meeting room,” before in-person meetings can resume.
But across the nation, the push for additional security for state and local officials is tempered by debate over the costs.
In Minnesota, legislators are considering proposals to create a new security unit that could help protect all 201 state House and Senate members, along with state Supreme Court justices, when threats arise.
The legislation is championed by state Sen. John Hoffman, who along with his wife was shot multiple times during the attack in June. At a recent hearing, Hoffman, a Democrat, said he continues to receive threats. The Senate advanced the bill Monday.
“We must adjust to this new reality,” Hoffman told the state Senate Finance Committee. “This bill is a necessary response and would keep elected officials and Supreme Court justices safe.”
Some Minnesota Republicans oppose the measure, raising concerns about the cost. A bill in the state House calls for adding 32 security personnel, which could cost taxpayers about $13 million per year, according to fiscal analysts.
The National Conference of State Legislatures, which tracks such legislation, estimates that lawmakers in at least a dozen states have considered bills this year to enhance their security. Several of the proposals, including one in Maine to reimburse legislators for security at their personal homes, failed to advance.
A political battle has also erupted in Pennsylvania, where the state police recently completed $1.1 million in security upgrades at Shapiro’s personal residence in suburban Philadelphia.
Shapiro lived at the residence for several months last year while repairs were made to the governor’s mansion after the fire bomb attack.
But state Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R), Shapiro’s likely opponent in this year’s governor’s race, has refused to authorize payment for the additional security expenses. She has argued that state law does not allow reimbursements for improvements to personal residences.
“Everyone deserves to be protected, and the security and well-being of our public officials and loved ones are of the upmost importance to me,” Garrity said while announcing her decision. “However, upgrades and improvements to the governor’s personal home present a different issue.”
In response to Garrity’s decision, five former Pennsylvania governors — Republicans and Democrats — wrote a letter this week asking state leaders to prioritize “the safety and security of the Governor and his family.”
Rosie Lapowsky, Shapiro’s press secretary, also issued a statement saying the state police are “exploring all options” to ensure that the vendors who completed the work on the governor’s personal residence are paid. Lapowsky disputes assertions that state law forbids payment.
In Baltimore, Mayor Brandon Scott (D) has been criticized for buying a new $163,000 SUV. Political opponents and some news outlets have said the purchase far outstrips what other mayors have spent on vehicles.
But Scott, who has faced attacks on social media for his embrace of diversity, equity and inclusion policies, maintains that the vehicle’s costs include the latest security upgrades.
“The vehicle is required to be compatible with police operations, and needed to be fitted with appropriate safety, security, and communications features such as emergency vehicle lights, sirens, a microphone, and more,” Jonas Poggi, a spokesman for Scott, said in a statement.
Piazza, the Penn State professor, expects such debates to continue. He recently attended a large dinner event with Shapiro and other officials, including members of the 253-person state legislature, he said.
“I kept thinking, all of these members of the Pennsylvania assembly were there,” Piazza recalled. “And there is really no budget to provide them protection in their personal or daily lives.”
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