New Jersey Senate Candidate Appears to Freeze Up in Scary Moment During a Debate

Mar. 15, 2025

Curtis Bashaw on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.Photo:Mike Catalini/AP Photo

Mike Catalini/AP Photo

A Senate debate between Democratic Rep.Andy Kimand Republican Curtis Bashaw turned scary over the weekend when the GOP candidate appeared to have some sort of medical episode.Viewers watching the Sunday, Oct. 6. debate between the two candidates vying to replaceconvicted former Democratic Sen. Bob Menendezsaw Bashaw, 63, freeze up while responding to a question about affordability.Video of the incident shared onX (formerly known as Twitter)showed Bashaw falling forward on the podium while staring blankly ahead.Kim crossed to Bashaw before asking if he was alright,The Philadephia Inquirerreported. “What?” Bashaw said before Kim repeated, “Are you okay?”“Yeah,” the GOP candidate ultimately answered. But when Bashaw was still seemingly frozen, the moderator cut to a commercial.According to the paper andNewsweek, Bashaw returned to the stage and explained that he hadn’t eaten before the debate.A spokesperson for Bashaw’s office toldNewsweekthat Curtis “is fine” but was “on the campaign trail all day and didn’t get a chance to eat.““He stepped offstage and had a protein bar and some Coke and came back to debate five minutes later,” the spokesperson added.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.When the debate — reportedly the first between both candidates resumed — Bashaw said he “got so worked up about this affordability issue that I realized I hadn’t eaten so much food today so I appreciate your indulgence.“Healso respondedafter video of the incident appeared on X, saying: “Thank you all for the well wishes! I was out campaigning all day, and I never stopped to get a bite to eat. Excited to eat pizza with my fantastic volunteers at the post-debate party tonight!“Bashaw then followed up an hour later to say that he finally got some pizza. “Update: 🍕acquired. Thanks for your support, everyone!” the candidate posted with a photo of him holding a box of pizza alongside a group of supporters.Menendez was convicted of 16 federal charges in July,following an eight-week corruption trial that centered around his level of involvement with Egypt’s government. He resigned from office in August.

A Senate debate between Democratic Rep.Andy Kimand Republican Curtis Bashaw turned scary over the weekend when the GOP candidate appeared to have some sort of medical episode.

Viewers watching the Sunday, Oct. 6. debate between the two candidates vying to replaceconvicted former Democratic Sen. Bob Menendezsaw Bashaw, 63, freeze up while responding to a question about affordability.

Video of the incident shared onX (formerly known as Twitter)showed Bashaw falling forward on the podium while staring blankly ahead.

Kim crossed to Bashaw before asking if he was alright,The Philadephia Inquirerreported. “What?” Bashaw said before Kim repeated, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” the GOP candidate ultimately answered. But when Bashaw was still seemingly frozen, the moderator cut to a commercial.

According to the paper andNewsweek, Bashaw returned to the stage and explained that he hadn’t eaten before the debate.

A spokesperson for Bashaw’s office toldNewsweekthat Curtis “is fine” but was “on the campaign trail all day and didn’t get a chance to eat.”

“He stepped offstage and had a protein bar and some Coke and came back to debate five minutes later,” the spokesperson added.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

When the debate — reportedly the first between both candidates resumed — Bashaw said he “got so worked up about this affordability issue that I realized I hadn’t eaten so much food today so I appreciate your indulgence.”

Healso respondedafter video of the incident appeared on X, saying: “Thank you all for the well wishes! I was out campaigning all day, and I never stopped to get a bite to eat. Excited to eat pizza with my fantastic volunteers at the post-debate party tonight!”

Bashaw then followed up an hour later to say that he finally got some pizza. “Update: 🍕acquired. Thanks for your support, everyone!” the candidate posted with a photo of him holding a box of pizza alongside a group of supporters.

Menendez was convicted of 16 federal charges in July,following an eight-week corruption trial that centered around his level of involvement with Egypt’s government. He resigned from office in August.

source: people.com