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Editor’s Note: Charlie King, Jr.’s photo, which ran with this article on page one of the Oct. 24 edition of The Lowndes Signal was a representation of his likeness, related to his comments about the removal of his campaign sign. It was not intended to implicate King in the phone calls made to Emma Harris. King denies any knowledge of or involvement in the phone calls. 

As America’s general election, Nov. 5, approaches, two candidates running for the Lowndes County Commission District 2 seat have reported attempts to interfere with their campaigns.

Carolyn Harris, who announced her intention to run as a write-in candidate against incumbent Charlie King, Jr. last week, said an anonymous caller attempted to intimidate her into withdrawing from the race Monday.

“The person called my mother [Emma Harris] and was telling her to have me drop out of the race because I wasn’t going to win with my ‘big back,’” Harris said. “Out of all my 34 years, I ‘ve never been called a big back.”

Harris said she believed the caller, who phoned Emma Harris four times on Oct. 21, referred to her plus-sized body, pointing especially to her back. She reported the incident to Lowndes County Sheriff Chris West, who said he is monitoring the situation.

“We’re going to wait and see if she gets another call,” West said. 

Harris reported that the caller sounded like a male attempting to impersonate a female. West said that since he has been Sheriff, he has not seen this type of intimidation taking place in an election.

“This is voter intimidation, and it’s a federal offense,” West said. “The Sheriff’s officers are keeping their ears to the ground. We will gather any available evidence and pass it on to the proper authorities.”

West explained that the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office both investigate these types of allegations.

“Should anything be discovered, we will pass it on to state and federal agencies,” West said.

King also reported behavior he suspected as an attempt to interfere with his campaign.

“[Someone] has been taking down my signs,” King said. “For every sign taken down, Mrs. Harris’s sign was put in its place.”

King said he reported the incidents to the Sheriff’s office.

“I’m not saying [Mrs. Harris] did it,” King said. “I don’t know who is behind it, but I reported it because I like to keep stuff like that on record.”