Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin Attacked on Stage During Campaign Event in New York State Governor Race

Yikes, things are getting spicy in New York as Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin was attacked by a guy while giving a campaign speech in Monroe County near Rochester.  A bystander intervened and removed a weapon from the hand of the attacker.  Mr. Zeldin was unharmed.

New York – Lee Zeldin, the Republican candidate for New York governor, was attacked during a campaign stop near Rochester in upstate Monroe County on Thursday night.

Zeldin, also a sitting US congressman from Long Island, was giving a speech at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Perinton when a man jumped on stage and lunged toward the lawmaker, according to witnesses and video of the incident.  “I saw that he [was] approaching the congressman, so I jumped up on the stage,” witness Joe Chenelly told The Post.

“The congressman turned and faced him. I thought he might just be there to hug the congressman or to, you know, maybe heckle him or something along those lines.”

The suspect approached Zeldin wielding an unknown weapon and Chenelly tackled him.  

“Once the man was on stage, he reached into his right pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a knife or a razor blade, maybe a box cutter and lunged at the Congressman,” Chenelly said.

Zeldin attempted to block the suspect — who witnesses said was disheveled and possibly intoxicated — and the man lunged at Zeldin once more.  (read more)