Wynn, Edwards campaign workers scuffle at NAACP forum

Thursday, Aug. 17, 2006

A candidates’ forum in Largo turned bloody last night when supporters of U.S. Rep. Albert Wynn (D-Dist. 4) scuffled with backers of one of his challengers, Donna Edwards, in a dispute over campaign signs.

The fight occurred at an NAACP-sponsored debate.

It is not clear who started the incident. Each campaign claims the other began to block its signs. Each campaign claims it was the first to ask the other campaign’s volunteers to stop.

Each campaign also claims the other threw the first punch.

‘‘Apparently there was a little skirmish,” Wynn told The Gazette. ‘‘My people acted in self-defense. Their people got the worst of it.”

Edwards’ spokesman Dan Weber said that Wynn’s workers went after Edwards’ volunteer and beat him to the ground.

‘‘He had cuts on his forehead, and he was bleeding quite badly,” Weber said.

Two of Wynn’s workers were temporarily detained after the incident by campus police for Prince George’s Community College, where the forum was held.

‘‘There’s no place in politics for this kind of behavior,” said Wynn, who claimed Edwards’ workers instigated the event to draw media attention to her otherwise ‘‘flat” campaign.

‘‘I hope they don’t think they can intimidate us,” Wynn said.