Arrest made in arson attack at Sen. Wendy Davis' office

The senator was not in her office at the time of the attack, but two of her staffers were. The sound of the homemade explosive device hitting the door alerted them that something was wrong.

Anthony Spangler, the senator's communication director, said the flames had reached waist height by the time the staffers opened the door. The fire charred the carpet outside her office as well as the door itself before staff was able to put it out with a nearby fire extinguisher.

Police say Davis, a Democrat who joined the Senate in 2009 to represent District 10 — which includes portions of Colleyville and Southlake — was quickly detained at another location to ensure her safety. She remained in the protective custody of the Texas Department of Public Safety for about four hours.

Davis later told reporters that it was too early to tell what prompted the attack, but that she hoped her aggressive political work, particularly in the areas of education, women's health issues and redistricting, were not the cause.

"It's unfortunate when things like this happen in the public arena," she said Tuesday night. "It reminds us of how important it is for us to remain very civil in our discourse and to work not to foment this kind of anger in our community as we discuss things that are challenges that we all face and care about."

Boyd Richie, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, released a statement today calling the attack "deplorable."

"Offering oneself up for public service, whether as an elected official or a staffer, should never result in the threat of physical violence," he said.

Davis' office reopened to the public today.

"Will I change the way I represent my community? Absolutely not," she said this morning. "I believe we've been a very important voice on issues our community cares deeply about ... and we have every intention of continuing to speak in the way we have been speaking on those issues."