Longitudinal Event Data
The Threats and Harassment Dataset (THD) is a first-of-its-kind public dataset capturing hostility against local officials in the United States. The longitudinal event-based data tracks the rate, frequency, types, and targets of threats and harassment faced by a wide range of local officials around the country, from elected officials at the municipal, county, and township level to appointed officials and election workers. BDI updates the THD each month to provide users with near-real-time data on the evolving threat landscape and support evidence-based decision-making to protect civic spaces.
Complete the registration form below to access the dataset and codebook.
Publications and Press Releases
Threat and harassment incidents against local officials continued at a lower rate in April, following a spike at the start of the year driven by national political dynamics. The THD captured more than 20 events for the month, marking a decrease of over 50% from March and a return to levels recorded during much of 2022. At the same time, multiple high-profile cases of threats and harassment against state and federal officials were reported in April. While these incidents are not captured in the THD, which is focused on local officials, they underscore that public officials at all levels continue to face heightened risk.
Reported incidents of threats and harassment against local officials returned to a high baseline level in March, following a spike in February driven largely by national political dynamics related to education policy. BDI’s Threats and Harassment Dataset (THD) captured more than 40 events for the month, marking a decrease of nearly 35% from February. Nevertheless, overall, hostility continued at similar levels compared to January 2025 and much of 2024. Most incidents in March were motivated by community-specific issues or personal legal disputes, marking a return to local dynamics as the leading driver of hostility.
Register for Access
The dataset is currently updated through April 2025.
Completing the form will generate a pop-up with download links.
UTH Consortium
The THD is made possible by the UTH consortium. Current members of the consortium include the Anti-Defamation League, the Brennan Center for Justice, CivicPulse, the Prosecution Project, the National League of Cities, and the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, among others. BDI regularly works to expand data contributions to address gaps in coverage. If you believe your organization has relevant data to contribute, please reach out to [email protected]. For more information about the UTH project and how to cite the research, check our FAQ sheet.
The project is supported by the Brennan Center for Justice, the Bipartisan Policy Center, and generous flexible support from BDI's core funders.