(Headline USA) U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, the Republican candidate for New York governor, was attacked by a man who tried to stab him at an upstate event Thursday but was uninjured, his campaign said.
Zeldin was giving a speech at a gubernatorial campaign stop. While he was speaking, a man climbed onstage and appeared to begin wrestling with the congressman, said Katie Vincentz, a spokesperson for Zeldin’s campaign. He was discussing bail reform at the time.
A video of the event in Perinton posted on Twitter showed the man appearing to grab Zeldin’s arm and the two fell to the ground as other people tried to intervene.
Several military veterans quickly intervened. Witnesses say the attacker attempted to thrust the knife toward Zeldin’s neck.
“Thanks to the swift action of several brave eventgoers, the perpetrator was subdued,” New York GOP Chair Nick Langworthy said in a statement.
Zeldin’s campaign said the attacker was taken into custody and the congressmen continued his speech.
Zeldin, an Army Reserve lieutenant colonel who has represented eastern Long Island in Congress since 2015, is a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump and was among the Republicans in Congress who voted against certifying the 2020 election results.
He is challenging incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul this November. He’s leading Democrats for the race in a state well-known for its support of Democrats.
He has credited his team for his popularity. ““Over the last year, we have built an unparalleled movement, powered by thousands of volunteers, tens of thousands of grassroots donations and scores of New Yorkers who are waking up and all in to Save Our State,” said Zeldin.
He has also taken notable stances against COVID mandates and strongly supports gun rights. He also supports voter ID laws for New York. That would conflict with a current New York law that allows noncitizens to vote, which Zeldin also opposes.
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
