Zeldin was giving a speech in Fairport, New York, when a man climbed onto the stage and “tried to stab Zeldin,” according to a statement from the campaign. According to the report, the GOP lawmaker “grabbed the assailant’s wrist and several people assisted him in restraining him.”
After the accused was arrested, the congressman returned to the stage to finish his remarks, Zeldin’s campaign said.
David G. of Fairport; Jakubonis, 43, was charged with attempted second-degree assault, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said. He was produced in the Town Court and released on his own bail. It was not immediately known if he had an attorney.
Bruce Blakeman, the Republican executive of Nassau County, used the attack to criticize efforts to soften criminal sentences.
“My team informed me of the incident at Lee Seltin’s campaign event tonight. I am relieved to hear that Congressman Seltin was not injured and that the suspect is in custody. I strongly condemn this act of violence – it has no place in New York,” Hochul wrote.
Seldin announced his run for governor last year, tweeting that “the light that was a beacon of what America can be has gone dark.” He won the Republican nomination in last month’s contest.
Zeld’s ex-president Donald Trump, who voiced him during his presidency, publicly defended him during his second impeachment trial. He echoed Trump’s baseless claims of fraud in the 2020 election and voted against certifying the 2020 election results in Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Seldin was first elected to Congress in 2014 after serving four years in the New York State Senate.
Hochul, meanwhile, defeated progressive primary challenger and New York City Attorney General Jumane Williams, whom he also defeated in the 2018 lieutenant governor primary.
CNN’s Samantha Beach contributed to this report.
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