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Rod Blum District Office Vandalized; Suspect In Custody

Man allegedly threw a gallon of white paint at the Iowa Republican’s office

Rep. Rod Blum’s district office was vandalized Wednesday. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Rep. Rod Blum’s district office was vandalized Wednesday. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Rep. Rod Blum’s district office was vandalized in Dubuque, Iowa, on Wednesday. 

Cory W. Straub, 32, no permanent address, was arrested on a charge of third-degree criminal mischief, according to police.

Traffic cameras in the area captured a suspect walking with what appears to be a gallon paint can. The person opens the can and throws the white paint on the front doors of the building, which read “Congressman Rod Blum 1st District of Iowa.”

Local law enforcement responded to the Main Street location around 6 a.m.  Blum denounced the act on Twitter Wednesday.

Blum is running to keep his seat representing Iowa’s 1st District in November; his race against Democrat Abby Finkenauer is rated a Toss-up by Nathan Gonzales at Inside Elections.

“I’m very disappointed that someone would do this,” Finkenauer said in a statement. “I grew up in a family where we didn’t always agree about politics, but we always respected each other. That’s the Dubuque I was raised in, and this act does a disservice to those values.”

Also Watch: ‘North Dakota Nice’ Takes a Backseat in Senate Race

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