Two Minnesota Republicans report attacks

Two Republicans in Minnesota said they have been physically attacked in the past few days by assailants who were angry about their politics.

The Associated Press reported Wednesday that state Rep. Sarah Anderson (R) was attacked Sunday by an unidentified male who she says she confronted after finding him kicking down several of her yard signs.

{mosads}Anderson told the AP that police have a tentative identification of the man who allegedly punched her in the arm during the confrontation, and that they plan to interview him.

Another Republican, Minnesota House District 15b candidate Shane Mekeland, told the Star Tribune he was attacked Friday during a campaign event at a bar by a “much bigger person” who left him with a concussion.

Mekeland said his attacker made a statement, while not specifically aligned with either party, that indicated he was angry at Mekeland for supposedly abandoning the middle class.

“It was a typical politically charged statement — not necessarily one way or the other, just a statement in general,” Mekeland told the Star Tribune. “But it was in reference to politicians not caring about the middle class.”

Mekeland called for civility in American politics.

“Stay calm, be civil, it’s OK,” Mekeland told the newspaper. “My parents were on the opposite side for their entire marriage and it was 53 years. I grew up in it; they never fought over it.”

Some Democrats, including Rep. Maxine Waters (Calif.) and former Attorney General Eric Holder, have faced criticism in recent months for calls to protest GOP candidates and lawmakers, with some Republicans saying those calls are akin to promoting violence.

Holder, who served under former President Obama, fired back on Twitter last week.

“OK, stop the fake outrage,” he tweeted. “I’m obviously not advocating violence. (In fact, when I was AG violent crime in the US was historically low.)”

He went on to say that “Republicans are undermining our democracy and Democrats need to be tough, proud and stand up for the values we believe in – the end.”