Two volunteers for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s reelection campaign were assaulted while knocking on doors in a Houston suburb on Saturday, Harris County law enforcement officials said.
A suspect chased the two volunteers through a neighborhood in Humble, ripped off the sideview mirrors of the car they were in and tried to pull them out of the vehicle.
“Political violence is never acceptable. Mark Miner, a spokesperson for Texans for Greg Abbott, said in a statement on Sunday. “With just over a month until Election Day, the passion to win should never bubble over into something more dangerous. There is no place for this in Texas.”
Harris County law enforcement officials identified the suspect and found pieces of the volunteers’ var in his trash can, according to the campaign. He was arrested on criminal mischief charges.
Pictures released by Abbott’s campaign showed the car’s mangled sideview mirrors.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Humble Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for information on Sunday afternoon.
Abbott is running for a third term against democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke, who is taking a second shot at statewide office in Texas after losing to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018.
A Real Clear Politics average of recent polls gives Abbott a 7.5% lead over O’Rourke about six weeks ahead of the election. A democrat hasn’t won statewide office in Texas in nearly three decades.
