House Candidate Allegedly Sucker Punches Opponent

Police officers responded to an alleged altercation between two North Carolina House of Representative candidates at the Bladenboro Beast Fest on Saturday. Now, one of the candidates has filed assault charges against the other. Bladenboro Police Chief Chris Hunt said Democratic District 46 candidate Tim Benton and Republican District 46 candidate Brenden Jones each told officers the other man “struck” him. “He sucker punched me in the face, as I turned to walk away from him to disengage in the conversation,” Jones explained, saying Benton was upset about a recent Republican mayor comparing Benton to Hillary Clinton. “Folks do not want this kind of person representing them in Raleigh. If he couldn’t handle a bill going on the floor would he strike the Speaker of the House? Would he attack the Governor?” Jones’ wife, Angela, witnessed the incident and said she’s still shocked and that this all played out in front of their 9-year-old daughter and Benton’s 15-month-old grandson, who’d he’d been pushing in a stroller.