A man allegedly assaulted a candidate for the Pennsylvania state House of Representatives outside his home Monday.
Richard Ringer, the Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania’s 51st District, reportedly heard a person trying to open his garage early Monday morning and went to investigate, according to WTAE. Ringer then reportedly saw the man with a flashlight and attempted to tackle him before the alleged assault.
Richard Ringer is running as a democrat for state representative in PA’s 51st District. You can see the bruises on his face after Ringer says he was assaulted early this morning outside his Fayette Co home. Ringer says this is the 3rd incident at his home in the past 3 weeks. pic.twitter.com/fKVKcn87rM
— Jim Madalinsky (@JimWTAE) October 31, 2022
“He had my arm behind my back, and he was pounding me,” Ringer said, according to WTAE. “The only thing I have is the bruising on my hand and face, but he hit me a couple of times and knocked me out.” Ringer reportedly did not seek medical attention after the incident. (RELATED: ‘Really Difficult Moment’: GOP Rep Relives Attack By Blade-Wielding Assailant)
Police did not catch the suspect at the scene and Ringer could not provide police with an accurate description, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Ringer has reportedly been the target of other incidents in the past few weeks, the outlet noted. Someone allegedly threw a brick through his back door window and another person allegedly spray-painted a threatening message on his garage door.
“All three incidents happened within the last three weeks, three weeks away from the election,” Ringer said, according to WTAE. He is not sure whether the incidents are politically motivated, the outlet noted.
“My neighborhood is safe. It’s calm, and there’s no crime whatsoever,” Ringer said, WTAE reported. “If you just try to connect the dots, maybe. But I can’t say definitively.”
In a statement to the Daily Caller, Ringer reiterated the concerns he shared with WTAE stating that the recent alleged vandalisms in what he describes as a “Fred Rogers-type” neighborhood make him “suspicious that the events are related to [his] robust campaign to win election.”
The Pennsylvania State Police did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.