Anderson man's battle for Congress moves to his yard

Deirdre Shesgreen, dshesgreen@usatoday.com 4:13 p.m. EDT October 24, 2014

One of Marek Tyszkiewicz's campaign signs(Photo: Provided )

WASHINGTON Marek Tyszkiewicz always knew he'd face a tough landscape in his bid for Congress, but he didn't think the hurdles would start in his own front yard.

That changed Friday, when the 2nd District candidate got a note from a neighbor demanding he take down his "Tyszkiewicz for Congress" yard sign. Tyszkiewicz, a Democrat, is vying to unseat incumbent GOP Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Columbia-Tusculum.

While his blue-and-white campaign sign might be a staple of American elections, it apparently violates the local housing covenant in Tyszkiewicz's neighborhood Overlook of Ivy Hills, part of Anderson Township.

"Signs are not allowed in our yards except as when used to advertise a home for sale," LeAnn Burke, who lives down the street from Tyszkiewicz, wrote in an email to the House candidate Friday. "Therefore we must ask that you remove any signs from your yard" that do not comply with the rule.

Burke did not immediately respond to voice mail and email messages seeking comment.

But Tyszkiewicz is standing his ground - literally.

"I'm not going to take the sign down," he said. "It's my own name in my own yard."

He said there are democratic principals at stake - not to mention political advantages.

More here:
Anderson man's battle for Congress moves to his yard