Women called ‘witches and warlocks’ in campaign mailer to voters. Here’s the response

A candidate running for supervisor in eastern Madera County named five citizens in campaign mail to voters, stating they are among an opponent’s most vocal “far left” supporters – and labeling two of them as “of the Witches and Warlocks.”

“The flyer has put a target on the back of not only myself, but also my children,” said Kriszti Mendonca, who described herself as a small business owner and community volunteer who ran a nonprofit called the Bass Lake Education Foundation for 10 years.

Mendonca and Sarah Roemer, who was also named by supervisor candidate Mark Reed as “of the Witches and Warlocks,” said they aren’t affiliated with any witch organizations – rather, they just attended a Witches and Warlocks Halloween paddle event at Bass Lake, where people dressed up in Halloween costumes.

Roemer described herself as an Oakhurst citizen who runs a meal and outreach program called Soup 4 Friends.

“I’m concerned by how Mark Reed’s divisive and libelous claims may affect our community efforts,” Roemer said. “I must also be cautious about how this might affect my job and personal life. I’m wondering if I need to fear extremists or zealots inspired to violence by his false claims.”

Roemer stood beside a large protest poster – a painting of a woman being burned at the stake in a witch hunt – during the news conference outside the Hugh Burns State Building in downtown Fresno. The other side of it read, “We will not be bullied into silence.”

In his campaign mailer sent to thousands of voters, Reed also named a founder of an Oakhurst LGBTQ+ group, a member of Yosemite Democrats and a member of the “Democratic Socialists of America Peace & Freedom Party.” (In a statement, that woman referred to the Peace and Freedom Party. Democratic Socialists of America is a separate group.) Reed additionally listed labor union SEIU and Black Lives Matter without providing names of its members.

Loralee Bergdall, who organized the news conference, read statements written by the other three women Reed named. She requested their names not be included in news coverage because they’ve been harassed and are fearful for their safety since Reed singled them out. Bergdall said while many community members agree and identify with the affiliations listed on the mailers, including them as labels on inflammatory campaign flyers in the midst of a polarized local election has created a “very unsafe environment.”

Bergdall, who lives in Oakhurst, said she was horrified when she saw the mailers. She decided to use her experience as co-director of Women’s March Fresno to help defend the five women. Bergdall said it’s unclear why Reed singled them out, and that they want a public apology from him.

Reed is one of three men running for District 5 supervisor in Madera County in the June 7 primary election.

“The irony of this is that this candidate, Mark Reed, all of his opponents are men, and he doesn’t attack them, he attacks women,” said Pam Whalen, an organizing director with the Dolores Huerta Foundation, who spoke during the news conference as a concerned community partner. “This is a campaign of hate, it’s a campaign of targeting women, and calling them out and punishing them for being involved in the political process.”

Reed told The Bee he was referring to candidate Bobby Macaulay when he mentioned “my opponent” on the campaign mailer. Beau Campbell is also running for District 5 supervisor.

“No candidate should attack the residents they are seeking to earn the trust of and represent,” Macaulay wrote in a short statement. “There is no place for any attempts to intimidate voters in today’s political climate regardless of one’s beliefs. It sets a dangerous precedent and erodes election integrity.”

Campbell prepared a long response, which reads, in part, “Every citizen in this county has a duty, right and responsibility to speak out against this type of behavior. Go to the polls and vote with your voices loudly or forever suffer in silence.”

Community members are planning an 11 a.m. Saturday protest on the corner of highways 41 and 49 in Oakhurst to support the women singled out by Reed.

District 5 has traditionally just covered mountain towns in rural eastern Madera County, but its new boundary now extends all the way to the San Joaquin River in the central San Joaquin Valley, just north of northeast Fresno. The district’s longtime incumbent, Tom Wheeler, announced last year that he would retire in 2022 and endorsed Macaulay to take his place as supervisor.

Where is he from? Mark Reed also ran in Los Angeles area

One of the five women Reed named recently shared a news story in an Oakhurst area Facebook group last month that describes Reed’s 2020 congressional run in the Los Angeles area, and expressed confusion about him now calling eastern Madera County his home.

She highlighted this paragraph attributed to Reed, talking about Southern California: “We call this home. I call this home. This is where my family roots are. This is where my family is. This is why I’m standing up to fight for the San Fernando Valley and bring back those principles and ideals that we all know exist in a very family-oriented community.”

The woman then wrote, “Which is it Mark Reed?” in her Facebook post.

Reed said he ran unsuccessfully against Rep. Brad Sherman five times in the race for California’s 30th Congressional District in the LA area.

Reed also ran unsuccessfully for the Los Angeles City Council in 2017.

During an hour-long interview with The Bee, Reed said of his Oakhurst residence, “I think we bought it 10 years ago, and I’m not going to release whose name it’s under, because we did that specifically because of death threats from the LA area, from far left, so I’m not going to reveal whose name it’s under, but it is my house, put it that way.”

His campaign website states Reed has “family, friends and business ties” to Madera County going back five decades.

Reed said he now lives on “passive income” from renting homes that he owns around the state.

Reed defends campaign mailer sent to Republicans

Reed told The Bee he named those five women because they have “very publicly been attacking me and my family” and that some have made “physical threats.”

The women at the news conference were shocked by those allegations when The Bee asked if they wanted to respond to Reed’s claims.

“These women have been obviously very vocal on social media against Mark Reed, but to the best of our knowledge, not to physical violence levels,” Bergdall said. “I would also like to say that Mark Reed has not been in communication with any one of these women ... he refused to comment when they asked about their personal safety.”

Reed told The Bee 4,005 mailers were sent out last week, strictly to registered Republicans in District 5 outside the area where the women he named live.

During the news conference, Bergdall said Reed sent approximately 30,000 mailers. She later told The Bee on Thursday evening that she had incorrect information about the initial estimate and concedes to Reed’s count.

Reed further justified his actions by saying about a quarter of campaign mailers get thrown away before they are read.

“It was a very targeted audience ... it was towards the conservative side of the community,” Reed said, “but it went to private (homes), it didn’t go out on social media.”

Women share hurt. Reed: I have family who are gay, Democrats

Speakers at the news conference noted how Reed’s mailer naming one woman as LGBTQ+ comes at the start of Pride Month, which celebrates people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer.

Bergdall read a statement from that woman, who said she runs a social media networking space for LGBTQ+ individuals in the mountain area, and works as a professor and therapist.

“To be attacked for my sexuality is nothing new,” the woman’s statement read, in part. “It’s happened before. However, it hurts to be judged for something that I can’t control any more than I can control my Jewish heritage or my brown eyes. I have felt more fear when going out in public places and have experienced panic attacks daily since I have been made aware of this attack on me, as well as receiving messages of hate on social media.”

Reed responded to The Bee by insisting he has many family members and friends who identify as LGBTQ, and that one of those friends is “married to a transgender.” Reed then stressed that he was “heavily involved” in helping those impacted by AIDS.

He also stressed that he has many friends and family members who are Democrats. His campaign website lists him as co-host of a radio show and podcast, “The Voice of Reason,” alongside a Democrat. He added that they have been complimented “for the civility and ability of two politically diverse ideologies to work together to identify commonalities between them for the common good.”

Reed’s campaign mailers strike a very different tone. Their headings read: “VOTE TO STOP THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT.”

“Here are his most vocal supporters from the Far Left that he doesn’t want you to know about,” the mailers state before naming the five women beside affiliations, followed by, “Is this the kind of change you want?”

The mailers also list some of Reed’s priorities and highlight a number of Republican endorsements.

Other concerns with Madera County supervisor candidate

Other concerns about Reed include past criminal charges against him. Those weren’t mentioned during Thursday’s news conference, but have been circulating online.

Reed told The Bee he’s received three misdemeanors, what he described as an expired permit for a spider monkey he still has, a shotgun permit issue, and for driving a friend who illegally purchased marijuana.

“So I was arrested for, it’s called solicitation to commit a drug crime, since I drove him there,” Reed said. “That was a misdemeanor, and that ended up being expunged.”

He said he got another permit to own his spider monkey, who is now 30 years old.

About the gun charge, a “stagecoach shotgun,” Reed said, “I’m in the film industry ... I ended up getting a entertainment firearms permit that allows me to have anything and everything.”

Some opposing Reed’s run for office have circulated a 49-page report online, allegedly showcasing some old court records related to his past crimes. The Bee was not able to verify the authenticity of all those records on deadline Thursday. Reed in April addressed these claims in the Oakhurst Area Facebook group by posting a letter from an attorney stating that people circulating information about Reed’s past crimes could be sued for defamation.

Among claims against him is a suspension of articles of incorporation by the California Franchise Tax Board for a pool and plumbing company he owned, Reed said.

“Well I sold the company, and I sold all the assets,” Reed said. “The attorney wanted $5,000 to close out the articles of incorporation. However, he advised me, if I just don’t file the paperwork for two cycles, the state will do it for me for free.”

Reed stressed he has “proven and tested leadership” by highlighting his “40 plus years in business management” and “37 years of business ownership” in the campaign mailer he sent last week.

Reed provided more details to The Bee about his work experience. Reed said he started as a fast food manager at Jack In The Box between the ages of 18 and 20 before becoming a manager at a lumber yard, and then a business representative for General Telephone. He then became a field manager for a plumbing company that he purchased at age 26, and also opened a retail store, Save More Pools, at age 29, before selling both companies around the age of 31, Reed said.

He then bought out another company, Reed said, doing educational programs and entertainment with animals.

On the side, Reed said he’s also worked as an animal wrangler, stuntman and actor.

“They will find out who I am,” Reed said of the five women he named in the mailer, saying he’s willing to meet with them. “Right now they have no idea who I am.”