A Republican candidate running for state Senate in Rhode Island assaulted an opponent, according to an online post.
Jennifer Rourke, a candidate for the state’s 29th Senate District, shared a video Saturday she claimed showed Jeann Lugo, her opponent, slapping her several times. Police later confirmed Lugo was shown in the video.
“I’m a reproductive rights organizer & State Senate candidate,” Rourke tweeted. “Last night, after speaking at our Roe rally, my Republican opponent — a police officer — violently attacked me.”
“This is what it is to be a Black woman running for office. I won’t give up,” she added.
Lugo dropped out of the race on Saturday. The candidate did not give a reason why, stating only it was not “the right time to seek office.”
“I’ve decided now is the right time to seek office, therefore I will not be running for any office this fall,” Lugo wrote.
The Providence Police Department, where Lugo has served for three years, placed the officer on paid leave Saturday “pending a criminal investigation and administrative review,” according to officials, adding Lugo was off-duty at the time.
This is an excerpt from the Washington Examiner.
