It’s only the beginning of campaigning season, yet as the US makes its way towards the 2023 New York gubernatorial election, aggressive behavior towards the candidates is already under way. GOP Gubernatorial candidate, Lee Zeldin was attacked at a campaign event on Thursday night in Fairport, New York. The attacker climbed on stage and attempted to stab Zeldin.
In a tweet early Friday morning following the attack, spokesperson Katie Vincentz posted, “Tonight outside of ROC, a man climbed on stage & attempted to stab @LeeZeldin during a rally speech in front of campaign supporters. Zeldin grabbed the attacker’s wrist to stop him until others assisted in taking the attacker to the ground. Law enforcement took the man into custody.” Zeldin then returned to the podium to continue conducting his campaign following the attack.
The man charged with attempted assault in the second degree is David G. Jakubonis, 43 years old, from Fairport, New York, according to Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Mr. Jakubonis was arraigned in town court and released on his own recognizance.
Governor Kathy Hochul, democratic gubernatorial opponent tweeted following the incident, “My team has informed me about the incident at Lee Zeldin’s campaign event tonight. Relieved to hear that Congressman Zeldin was not injured and that the suspect is in custody. I condemn this violent behavior in the strongest terms possible — it has no place in New York.”
State GOP Chair Nick Langworthy, stated that among those who assisted in subduing the attacker was Zeldin’s running mate, former New York Police Department Deputy Inspector Alison Esposito.
Zeldin is an American politician, attorney, as well as an officer in the United States Army Reserve, representing New York’s 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2015. He has numerous times vocally defended former President Donald Trump during his presidency, including during Trump’s second impeachment trial. He has also consistently promoted the baseless claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election, and even went so far as to vote against certifying that year’s election results in Pennsylvania and Arizona.
