Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) was attacked Thursday morning in her apartment building in Washington DC, her office said.
Craig’s chief of staff Nick Coe said the assault did not appear to be politically motivated.
“Rep. Craig defended herself from the attacker and suffered bruising, but is otherwise physically okay,” chief of staff Nick Coe said in a statement.
The DC Metropolitan Police report said that Craig first spotted the suspect in her building’s lobby “acting erratic as if he was under the influence of an unknown substance.”
The police said he followed her into the elevator and began doing pushups before he “punched her on the chin area of her face, and later grabbed her neck.” He fled after Craig threw a cup of hot coffee on him, according to police.
NBC News Capitol Hill Correspondent Ryan Nobles said Thursday afternoon, “We spotted [Craig] in the halls of Congress earlier today. She was already back on the job after what happened.”
The attack comes amid a heightened concern over the safety of lawmakers and their families following the deadly January 6, 2021 mob attack upon the U.S. Capitol.
On October 28, Paul Pelosi, the husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) suffered a fractured skull when police say 42-year-old David DePape attacked him with a hammer during a home invasion.
Craig was elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 after defeating Rep. Jason Lewis (R).
