During Sunday’s highly anticipated U.S. Senate debate hosted by On New Jersey, an unexpected moment occurred when GOP candidate Curtis Bashaw experienced a brief medical episode on stage. The debate, moderated by ONNJ’s chief political reporter Laura Jones, featured a heated discussion on key issues, including affordability in New Jersey.
As Bashaw was speaking about affordability, he suddenly trailed off, becoming visibly shaky and unresponsive. In a show of concern, Democrat Andy Kim crossed the stage to check on his opponent, asking if Bashaw was okay. Although Bashaw replied, “yeah,” he still appeared disoriented. Laura Jones, maintaining control of the debate, called for a brief break “to address some issues here on the stage.”
After a 10-minute pause, Bashaw returned to the stage, explaining that the issue stemmed from not eating enough that day. “I got so worked up about this affordability issue that I realized I hadn’t eaten so much food today,” he said. Later, Bashaw took to social media to joke about the incident, attributing his momentary lapse to hunger and even quipping about his craving for pizza. His campaign spokesperson reassured voters that Bashaw was fine, adding, “He was on the campaign trail all day and didn’t get a chance to eat. Even having not eaten all day, Curtis was still able to eat Andy Kim’s lunch tonight!”
Both candidates are vying for the Senate seat vacated by former Senator Bob Menendez, who resigned following a conviction on bribery and corruption charges. Despite the brief interruption, the debate resumed with both candidates delivering impassioned remarks on the pressing issues facing New Jersey.
