Someone painted “blood on her hands” across the sidewalk outside Senator Susan Collins’ Biddeford office the night before Maine voters headed to the polls.
Quick Take
- Biddeford Police got a call shortly before 11 p.m. Monday about vandalism at Collins’ Main Street office.
- Photos show red paint forming a pool resembling blood on the sidewalk, with possible splatter near the front doors.
- Collins’ office says it is a federal constituent-service location, not a campaign office, and stayed open the next day.
- Police confirmed an investigation, but no suspect, motive, or charges have been made public.
What Happened Outside The Biddeford Office
Biddeford Police received a call shortly before 11 p.m. Monday about vandalism at 160 Main Street, Collins’ office in the city. Staff arrived Tuesday morning to find the sidewalk soaked in red paint and the words “blood on her hands” spelled out in front of the building. The Bangor Daily News separately confirmed the same address, timing, and wording the next morning.
Photos released by Collins’ campaign show a pool of red paint on the concrete that looks like blood, along with what may be splatter marks near the entrance doors. The exact scope of the damage is not fully clear from public reporting. Some accounts focus mainly on the sidewalk, while others mention paint possibly reaching the doors themselves.
Timing Landed Squarely On Election Eve
The vandalism happened Monday night, just hours before Maine polls opened for a tightly watched Senate race. Boston.com reported the incident unfolded shortly before voting began Tuesday, placing it directly in the center of the state’s election-day news cycle. That timing guaranteed the story would spread fast, right when political attention in Maine was already at its peak.
Collins addressed the incident herself, drawing a clear line between the building’s function and any campaign narrative. “Last night we once again had vandalism at my federal office in Biddeford,” she said. “This office does constituent service work. This is not a political office… And the office is open and doing business today”. Her spokeswoman, Katie Brown, described the act as an attempt to intimidate the senator and her staff.
Police Investigation Remains Open
Biddeford Police confirmed they are investigating, but as of the latest reporting, no suspect has been named and no motive has been confirmed. That is normal for a fresh vandalism case worked by a local department, not evidence that something is being hidden. Paint on a sidewalk rarely leaves the kind of forensic trail that produces instant answers.
One brief caveat matters here: an investigation being open means the facts of who did this and why remain unresolved, not that the vandalism itself is in question. The physical scene, the timing, and the office’s response are all independently documented by multiple outlets. What remains outstanding is accountability, not the basic story of what happened.
A Pattern Bigger Than One Sidewalk
This incident did not happen in a vacuum. Research tracking threats against American public officials shows a steady climb over the past decade. Federal charges involving threats to public officials jumped from an average of 38 per year between 2013 and 2016 to roughly 62 per year from 2017 through 2022, according to data compiled by the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center.
Separate research on state legislative staff found that a majority, 52 percent, have faced threats during their careers, while 61 percent intercepted communications aimed at their bosses. Physical violence remains far less common than threats and harassment, but the overall trend line points one direction: up. A sidewalk smeared with paint fits inside that broader climate, even without a confirmed political motive attached to this specific act.
READ NOW: Susan Collins' Maine Senate office vandalized with 'disturbing' graffiti on night before Election Day — Susan Collins' Biddeford, Maine, office was hit with red paint and the message "BLOOD on her HANDS," marking the second vandalism…https://t.co/CvKzNAybyb
— Top News by CPAC (@TopNewsbyCPAC) November 4, 2026
Why The Distinction Between Offices Matters
Collins drew attention to a detail that often gets lost in fast-moving coverage: the Biddeford location handles constituent casework, not campaign operations. That distinction affects how the vandalism should be understood. An attack on a federal office serving everyday Mainers seeking help with Social Security, veterans’ benefits, or immigration paperwork is a different kind of act than one aimed at a campaign headquarters.
Whatever the intent behind the paint and the message, the practical result was a disrupted morning for staff who serve constituents regardless of political party. Collins made clear the office stayed open despite the incident, signaling that casework continued uninterrupted even as police worked to sort out who was responsible.
Sources:
foxnews.com, newscentermaine.com, boston.com, wsj.com, lamag.com
