BENTON COUNTY, MN — A Republican running for a seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives in the November midterm election was sucker punched at a bar in St. George Township Friday when another patron got upset about a comment he made about the middle class, authorities said.

Shane Mekeland told the Benton County Sheriff's Office he was talking politics with another fellow at a bar when he punched him in the face without warning. Their conversation had been amiable until the man took offense about his comment about the middle class, police said. A suspect was identified and interviewed. The investigation is ongoing.

"I suffered a concussion and the incident is now in the hands of law enforcement," Mekeland wrote on Facebook. "While I had never met my assailant, the words he yelled at me before he attacked lead me to believe his actions were politically motivated. When I chose to run for office, I expected to be politically attacked, but never physically," he added.

"I weighed whether or not to share this today, but ultimately I think we all need a reminder to be civil to each other regardless of our perspectives." Sign Up For Patch's Daily Newsletter and Breaking News Alerts in Your Neighborhood