Democratic Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig was assaulted in her apartment building’s elevator Thursday morning, her office announced.
“This morning around 7:15 a.m., Rep. Craig was assaulted in the elevator of her apartment building in Washington, DC. Rep. Craig defended herself from the attacker and suffered bruising, but is otherwise physically okay,” her office said in a statement. “Rep. Craig called 9-1-1 and the assailant fled the scene of the assault. There is no evidence that the incident was politically motivated.”
>@RepAngieCraig was assaulted in her apartment building this morning, her office says. pic.twitter.com/vm0h93MF9F
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) February 9, 2023
“Rep. Craig is grateful to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department for their quick response and asks for privacy at this time.” (RELATED: Rep. Cori Bush’s Vehicle Hit By Gunfire In Home District, Congresswoman Uninjured)
The suspect first appeared in Craig’s apartment building lobby, following her into an elevator, according to a Metro PD report. The suspect began doing pushups before punching Craig in the chin and grabbing her neck, the report said.
Craig is not the first member of Congress recently victimized by violent crime. Democratic Pennsylvania Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon was carjacked in South Philadelphia in December 2021. Police later recovered the cars and arrested suspects. A car belonging to Democratic Missouri Rep. Cori Bush was hit by gunfire in January 2022, although the congresswoman was not in the vehicle at the time.
The Washington, D.C. City Council passed legislation in 2022 that will eliminate by mandatory minimum sentences, allow for jury trials in all misdemeanor cases, and reduce penalties for carjackings and robberies by 2025. The House of Representatives voted to disapprove of the measure on Thursday morning, with 31 Democrats joining all 219 present Republicans in support of the resolution.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.