For 21 years, West Hartford resident Matt Warshauer has put up a political Halloween decoration outside of his house.
“This year is an election year and so I always want to do something election related,” the political historian said. “Political effigies are something that go back to the founding of our country, so that’s what I’m doing.”
He has tackled issues such as the war in Ukraine and the border wall. This year he decided to give Lady Liberty a new face.
“It’s really, it’s not about Kamala Harris,” he said. “It’s about democracy and this great experiment in representative government that we have.”
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He says anyone passing by can leave a message using the markers he’s provided. Some visitors wrote messages supporting Harris' opponent, former president Donald Trump.
“I think when you’re doing something like this, which I really think is a public art form, you’ve got to give people the opportunity to provide their feedback,” he said.
Along the panels are messages in support of both presidential candidates.
“It’s amazing,” said Sophia Kimmel who traveled with her friend Stefanie Windhorst from Germany and made a point to visit the display. They both used to live in West Hartford and say it was important to stop by.
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“It’s amazing to see it and for the political statement. It’s just great,” said Kimmel.
“He always hits the right points with his decoration,” Windhorst added.
While Warshauer’s decorations are quite popular in the neighborhood, he says this will be his last year putting up political decorations.
“I think as long as I live here, I’ll always do something,” he said. “But I’ve been doing this political Halloween for a long time. I think that we’re really at a crossroads.”
