Republican Senate candidate Curtis Bashaw froze during a debate over the New Jersey seat on Sunday during an alarming period.
Watch the moment here.
While talking about affordability, Bashaw stopped and became nonverbal and shaky to the point that Democrat Andy Kim stormed across the stage to ask if he was okay. Bashaw replied “yes,” but still didn’t seem concerned.
Kim began suggesting that Bashaw still needed help and the moderator called for a break “to address some issues here on stage.”
Bashaw returned to the stage about 10 minutes later. “I got so excited about this affordability issue that I realized I hadn’t eaten that much food today,” Bashaw told The Associated Press. “So I appreciate your indulgence.”
He later wrote about the incident on social media, noting that hunger was to blame and joking about his craving for pizza.
“Curtis is fine!” a campaign spokesperson told Fox News. ‘He was on campaign all day and didn’t get a chance to eat. He stepped off stage, had a protein bar and some coke, and returned for the debate five minutes later. Even after not eating all day, Curtis was still able to eat Andy Kim’s lunch tonight!
Kim and Bashaw are seeking to fill the seat following the resignation of Democrat Bob Menendez in July following his conviction on bribery and corruption charges.
Kim has an average lead of four points in recent polls.
