Before stepping on the debate stage to take on Democrat Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, GOP nominee Gen. Don Bolduc dodged a punch from a would-be assailant. Bolduc, a retired Army brigadier general, was reportedly not harmed while the failed assailant was arrested. After the debate, Bolduc thanked law enforcement for the swift response. Hassan also responded.

New York Post reports:

“As the general said on stage tonight, it’s time to lower the temperature of the political discourse in this country. Prior to the debate, an individual in the crowd gathered outside attempted to punch the general and was quickly apprehended and arrested,” a Bolduc campaign spokesperson told Boston 25 News.

…

Kevin Donohoe, Hassan’s campaign communications director, said Wednesday that the assailant was a “Libertarian Party activist,” and he condemned the incident.

“Disgusting behavior. We saw this same libertarian party activist get aggressive with our campaign volunteers at this debate and the last,” Donohoe wrote on Twitter.

The debate between Bolduc and Hassan on Wednesday was the third and final one before the Nov. 8 election. Hassan leads Bolduc by 1 percentage point, according to a RealClearPolitics average of polls.

Bolduc held his own in the debate despite the attempted attack, railing hard against Democrats’ agenda to raise taxes and exacerbate already high inflation. “Two years ago, you were NOT making choices between heating and eating,” the General said.