U.S. House Candidate Ends Run After Uproar Over Behavior at Sleepover

A Democratic candidate for Congress in Oklahoma has ended her marketing campaign one month after she apologized for verbally abusing kids attending a sleepover at a buddy’s residence.

The candidate, Abby Broyles, a former investigative tv reporter who ran an unsuccessful marketing campaign for the U.S. Senate in 2020, stated she was ending her bid to signify Oklahoma’s Fifth Congressional District “to deal with myself and my happiness,” in keeping with a Medium submit printed on Thursday.

Within the essay, Ms. Broyles, 32, described how she “hit all-time low” after the sleepover incident final month.

She described being in an emergency room on March 2, lower than two weeks after the apology.

“I drank closely in my lodge room, greater than 1,300 miles away in an effort to cover and took sleeping capsules, anguishing in ache studying about myself on social media and in tabloid articles,” she wrote.

Ms. Broyles additionally stated she had “struggled with psychological well being points together with self-worth, extreme anxiousness and insomnia for about 20 years.”

Ms. Broyles, who didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Thursday, has stated that she has no reminiscence of what occurred through the Feb. 11 sleepover the place she had combined alcohol and sleep medicine. About eight women ages 12 and 13 attended the sleepover, the place they watched the film “Titanic,” in keeping with NonDoc Media, a journalism nonprofit in Oklahoma.

When first contacted by NonDoc Media for remark, Ms. Broyles appeared to disclaim that she was on the occasion. After a TikTok video confirmed in any other case, she gave an interview to KFOR-TV, an Oklahoma Metropolis station the place she as soon as labored.

Within the interview, Ms. Broyles stated that she had “blacked out” after ingesting wine and taking a sleeping medicine. She stated that her buddy, who was internet hosting the sleepover, had given her drugs that she had by no means taken earlier than.

After the sleepover episode made nationwide headlines, Ms. Broyles stated she had acquired demise threats and had been harassed by on-line trolls. She additionally wrote that she had “misplaced help” from Democratic leaders. The Democratic Congressional Marketing campaign Committee, which Ms. Broyles stated “introduced it was distancing itself” from her after the episode, didn’t instantly return a telephone name searching for touch upon Thursday.

“The information cycle was the longest 9 days of my life,” she continued. “I didn’t even really feel secure staying in my own residence as a result of threats I acquired.”

Alone in a lodge room this month, Ms. Broyles grew to become overwhelmed with self-doubt, she stated within the submit. “Surrounded by empty wine and liquor bottles, I stared on the darkish circles below my eyes within the lavatory mirror, and this time, I didn’t simply inform myself I’m ‘not ok,’” she wrote. “This time I instructed myself I used to be executed.”

“I don’t bear in mind what all I drank earlier than I despatched a pair suicidal texts to shut pals and despatched a tweet out that stated, ‘You guys win. I’ll simply kill myself,’” she continued. “I blacked out and awoke on a gurney.”

Ms. Broyles was searching for her occasion’s nomination in June to run in opposition to Consultant Stephanie Bice, the Republican incumbent serving her first time period. In 2020, Ms. Broyles ran to unseat Senator James Inhofe, a Republican.

Towards the tip of her assertion, Ms. Broyles stated that she had checked right into a rehabilitation middle lately.

She stated she was sharing her story “as a result of I ought to’ve gotten assist sooner, and should you’re struggling, please know, there’s assist. Sadly, I needed to hit all-time low to comprehend it.”

If you’re having ideas of suicide, name the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 (TALK) or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/assets for a listing of extra assets.