Local elected officials in US faced uptick in hostility in lead-up to 2024 election

Research shows increase in insults and harassment, with rate disproportionately high among women and minorities

Local elected officials in the US faced escalating insults and harassment in the immediate lead-up to the 2024 election, with women and minorities experiencing disproportionately high levels of hostility, according to new research.

The latest survey from from Princeton University's Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI) and governance non-profit CivicPulse found that 53% of local elected officials reported receiving insults and 39% reported harassment between July and October, marking a significant increase from the previous quarter.