PEARLAND, Texas — The race for Texas House District 29 is swarming with controversy after bees were left outside a polling place in Pearland.
Republican candidate Jeff Barry is claiming a supporter of his opponent, Alex Kamkar, intentionally lured bees to his campaign tent outside the Tom Reid Library on the first day of early voting.
It's Berry's fourth election and he's never seen something like this before.
"We had several hundred bees here. It wasn't just a couple, it was noticeable," he said. "Never in my wildest dreams I'd imagine this would happen. This is unfathomable. Who would ever do that."
Barry said on Monday that Doug Holloway, an area beekeeper, pulled up and parked near his campaign tent and eventually left, leaving the bees behind.
"(The) Bees never went away," Barry said.
Barry blames a supporter of the Kamkar campaign.
"I don't know what the intent was but it was certainly something that was premeditated," Barry said.
Holloway said he vehemently denies any involvement. He even confronted Barry at the poll Tuesday, but Barry isn't convinced.
"Made a video the night before ... shared it on YouTube," Barry said.
In the video, Holloway lays empty bee boxes under campaign signs, then shows bees in the back of his truck and says in part, "I have no intention of doing anything. Just keeping things honest."
KHOU 11 News reached out to the Kamkar campaign for comment.
"Our campaign was not present at the poll site since polls were not open, nor were any paid campaign workers present," they said in a statement.
Holloway also said he supports both candidates.
However, according to Barry campaign volunteers, as they were setting up campaign signs Sunday afternoon, they happened to capture a video of Holloway putting up Kamkar campaign signs as well.
Barry said at the end of the day, he just wants a safe polling location.
"It's a safety issue. We just need to make sure those things don't happen in the future," Barry said. "We just want to have a civil polling location."
Pearland police told KHOU 11 News they did look into it, but it wasn't in their purview. Because it happened outside a polling location, a federal agency would need to investigate.
Gov. Greg Abbott is set to travel to District 29 Thursday to rally with Kamkar.