PORTAGE COUNTY, Ohio — The sheriff of Portage County is facing backlash after a controversial Facebook post that urged his followers to monitor and record the addresses of local residents displaying support for Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign.
In a post shared on Facebook, Sheriff Bruce D. Zuchowski suggested that those who support Harris be tracked for housing undocumented immigrants.
“When people ask me… What’s gonna happen if the Flip – Flopping, Laughing Hyena Wins??” Zuchowski, who took office in 2021, wrote on Facebook. “I say… write down all the addresses of the people who had her signs in their yards! Sooo… when the Illegal human ‘Locust’ (which she supports!) Need places to live…We’ll already have the addresses of their New families…who supported their arrival!”
The comment has drawn sharp criticism from local officials and civil rights advocates who say the remarks are divisive and promote hostility toward immigrants and political opponents.
Supporters for the Republican sheriff, who is up for re-election in November, rallied behind his message.
“Absolutely!! Making a list and checking it twice,” one person commented.
“Perfectly said, I know a few that would love to have them,” another commenter said.
WKYC, a local news station, reported that efforts to reach Sheriff Zuchowski for comment were unsuccessful as of Monday morning.
While Donald Trump won Portage County in the 2020 presidential election with 45,990 votes compared to President Joe Biden’s 35,661, recent electoral data suggests that tens of thousands of Harris supporters may reside in the area.
