A Republican campaign’s effort to track down disappearing lawn signs led police to property owned by the candidate’s Democratic opponent, Connecticut state Rep. Anne Hughes. The lawmaker received a misdemeanor summons for sixth-degree larceny after investigators located the missing campaign material. Hughes acknowledged removing signs and apologized as she sought another term against Republican challenger Darrell Harris.
The dispute unfolded in the race for Connecticut’s 135th House District, which includes Easton, Redding and Weston. Hughes was first elected in 2018 and is seeking her fifth term in the legislature. Harris’ campaign had been dealing with disappearing signs when a frustrated volunteer concealed AirTags in some of them. On Friday, October 30, the campaign tracked one of the missing signs.
Campaign staff reported signs missing from the roadside near Route 59 and Judd Road in Easton. Police determined that a tracker attached to at least one sign was registering on Hughes’ property. Investigators followed up, and Hughes returned several signs, including the one containing the device. Police said they had probable cause to issue the misdemeanor summons following that investigation.
As CT Mirror reported, Harris contacted police with the suspected location after the campaign traced the sign. “The last thing I expected was it to ping on her property,” he said. Hughes said officers arrived at her house at 10 p.m. She also said the summons instructed her to appear in court in two weeks.
The missing signs targeted a tax remark Hughes made after an April 15th, 2025, press conference advocating a higher capital gains tax, Hearst Connecticut Media reported. While still being recorded, she said, “We’re not rich. But I always say to the governor, ‘Tax my people. They won’t even notice.’” Hughes later said she meant her wealthiest constituents. Harris incorporated the remark into his campaign advertising.
Hughes’ public apology appeared on Facebook, where she maintained that the signs should not have been on public property. NBC Connecticut reported that she apologized for taking them instead of asking police or her opponent’s campaign to remove them. She accepted responsibility for her actions, described the incident as a distraction and pledged to conduct civil discussions with Harris through the remainder of the campaign.
Watch WTNH’s report on the campaign-sign investigation here:
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Democratic House Speaker Matt Ritter criticized the conduct as “childish,” according to WTNH’s report published by AOL. “I’ve talked to Rep. Hughes and been assured this won’t happen again,” Ritter said. “We move on.” Republican House leader Vincent Candelora also condemned Hughes’ actions and accused Democrats in Hartford of arrogance. Hughes serves on the legislature’s energy and technology, human services, labor and aging committees.
The Easton Republican Town Committee challenged Hughes’ characterization of the incident as a distraction, saying an elected official’s judgment and integrity were campaign issues. In its statement carried by NBC Connecticut, the committee acknowledged her apology while arguing that it did not erase the seriousness of what happened or the potential consequences. Its statement concluded: “Public trust is earned through actions, not apologies.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.