Toplines

This memo covers insights from a dozen interviews with local elected officials in November 2025.

Threats and harassment against local officials decreased from October to November. The latest Threats and Harassment Dataset (THD) update adds 60 new threat and harassment events to the dataset, including 18 for November, bringing the total number of events captured so far in 2025 to over 500. Community-specific issues remained a consistent driver of incidents for the month, though to a smaller extent compared to previous months. So far this year, THD has no recorded threats or harassment against election officials and and has seen fewer election-related grievances, compared to the years preceding the 2024 presidential election.

Biweekly emerging monitoring trends on key developments and drivers of political violence.

Threats and harassment against local officials decreased from November to December. The latest Threats and Harassment Dataset (THD) update adds 40 new events, including 14 incidents for December, bringing the total number of events captured in 2025 to 550. In contrast to previous months, no cases with community-specific grievances were tracked in December. Instead, December saw a slight increase in immigration-motivated targeting related to local decisions about cooperation with ICE.

Threats and harassment against local officials decreased from December to January. The latest Threats and Harassment Dataset (THD) update adds 41 new events, including 14 incidents for January. Other or unknown motives largely drove incidents, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all events tracked in January. Events with other motives included targeting due to perceived corruption, hostility between officials, and a legal case. Targeting of judicial officials slightly increased compared to December, accounting for half of all events tracked in January. Several of these incidents were severe in nature, including death threats over unknown or personal legal motives.

Threats and harassment against local officials remained steady from January to February. The latest Threats and Harassment Dataset (THD) update adds over 30 new events, including 17 for February. Other or unknown motives largely drove incidents, accounting for over two-thirds of all events tracked in February. A clear motive was not identified for most of the incidents recorded during the month, though multiple events were connected to immigration issues and personal legal matters.

Threats and harassment against local officials decreased from February to March. The latest Threats and Harassment Dataset (THD) update adds over 30 new events, including 15 for March. Unknown or unclassified motives accounted for the majority of reported events during the month.