Republican Lawmaker Literally Yanks Mic Away From His Female Opponent During Debate

As we approach the November midterms, it’s worth remembering that asshole men abound everywhere, from the White House to the Senate to the Supreme Court all the way on down to Minnesota’s House District 25a, where three-term incumbent Republican Duane Quam and his Democratic challenger Jamie Mahlberg debated on Monday night.

The candidates were each asked a question about how best to address education funding. The answers were fairly wonky and dry. But as Mahlberg was finishing her response, Quam reached over and literally grabbed the microphone out of her hand, prompting her to recoil in shock.

Then, after offering a rambling rebuttal, Quam loudly threw the mic back onto the table in front of Mahlberg, as she mouthed “oh?” in apparent surprise.

The whole bizarre exchange can be seen starting at the 39 minute mark here.

In an email to Splinter, Mahlberg wrote:

It was disappointing to be on the receiving end of such disrespectful behavior from my current representative, but ultimately I’m focused on my campaign and the hard work I will continue to do to earn the support of the voters of the district.

I have reached out to Rep. Quam’s office for comment on the incident, and will update this story if he responds.