Lee Zeldin, the Republican candidate for New York governor, was attacked during a campaign stop near Rochester in upstate Monroe County on Thursday night — but escaped injury and managed to finish his speech.
Zeldin, also a sitting US congressman from Long Island, was campaigning at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Perinton when a man jumped on stage and lunged toward the lawmaker with an unknown weapon, 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.”
After the suspect flashed the weapon and appeared to be wrestling with, Zeldin, Chenelly tackled the man to the ground.
“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.
“I tackled him from behind and wrapped him up and dropped him on the right side on stage,” Chenelly said.
The suspect was then detained by a number of witnesses including GOP candidate for lieutenant governor, Alison Esposito.
Chenelly credited Esposito, a 20-year member of the NYPD, for grabbing the weapon out of the suspect’s hand.
Soon after the incident, Zeldin got back on stage and finished his speech. Late Thursday night, the congressman told The Post via text he was “OK” and called the ordeal “crazy.”
Zeldin also addressed the attack in separate tweet, where he said, “Someone tried to stab me on stage during this evening’s rally, but fortunately, I was able to grab his wrist and stop him for a few moments until others tackled him.”
The suspect, who has not been identified by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, is an Iraq War veteran, according to WROC-TV.
Zeldin, who beat three other Republicans to grab the GOP nomination in the governor’s race in a primary last month, faces Governor Kathy Hochul, the Democratic incumbent, this November.
Sauce: https://nypost.com/2022/07/21/lee-zeldin-attacked-during-campaign-stop-near-rochester-report/