A week after Town Council candidates were officially announced on the ballot for the May 2 election, a questionable election mailer arrived in residents’ mailboxes.
A plain postcard-sized flyer with the photo of what looks like a military officer staring down the barrel of a gun on top of a tank reads: “Angry candidates look downright foolish pretending to be ‘Guardians of the Gate.’ Choose your Herndon Town Council candidates wisely.”
Council member Dennis Husch — who is running for re-election — used his Internet newsletter listserve to respond to the flyer.
“I have no clue why the postcard was sent or what the message meant,” he wrote. “I don’t even know if staring down the barrel of an Abrams tank was intended to intimidate the recipients.”
In the previous six campaigns Husch has participated in, he has never seen or been the recipient of anonymous correspondence, he said.
“Herndon has a fine tradition of discussing issues in a respectful and civil manner,” he said. “I hope this anonymous postcard it not an indication of what we can expect until Election Day.”