The Democratic congresswoman’s office said she suffered no serious injuries and there was no evidence the attack was politically motivated.
Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., was attacked Thursday morning in the elevator of her Washington, D.C. apartment building, her office said in a statement.
“Rep. Craig defended herself from the attacker and suffered bruising, but is otherwise physically okay,” chief of staff Nick Coe said. Coe said the assailant then fled, and there was no evidence the attack was politically motivated.
First elected in 2018, Craig is the first openly LGBTQ member of Congress from Minnesota.
Members of Congress experienced an increase in threats of violence following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, leading lawmakers to plead with leadership for more funding for personal security. The number of threat investigations decreased last year, but U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said in January that the rate was “still too high.”