A candidates forum in Yonkers, New York went completely off the rails Wednesday night when Democrat Kisha Skipper, who is running against GOP Westchester County Legislator James Nolan, ended up in handcuffs after a bathroom brawl with Nolan’s mother. Yes, you read that right. A bathroom brawl. With his mom.
Police say the melee broke out during a break at the Beczak Environmental Center when Skipper allegedly got into a dispute with a former campaign staffer. That’s when Nolan’s mother, Donna, stepped in to try to separate the women and ended up with an abrasion to her lip, according to a Yonkers police release. Donna Nolan was taken away by ambulance. Skipper was handcuffed and detained.
According to Yonkers candidates forum incident, Skipper had dodged a question during the debate about alleged questionable campaign donations by taking a bathroom break, which is apparently when things escalated from political theater to actual theater.
Skipper surfaced in the early morning hours with a Facebook post, arm in a sling, standing outside an emergency room, doing her best damage control. “Let me just say, I know there’s a lot of video, a lot of misinformation being spread,” she said. “No, I was not arrested. Yes, I was detained pending an investigation. Of course, I was released, and there will be more information forthcoming.” The classic distinction every normal candidate has to make the night after a bathroom fight.
James Nolan didn’t mince words on Instagram. “There is absolutely no justification for violence,” he wrote. “Anyone seeking public office is expected to demonstrate sound judgment, self-control, and the ability to handle confrontation without resorting to physical aggression. These standards are not optional. This is a clear example of why she is not fit to serve public office.” Hard to argue with that.
Yonkers police confirmed Skipper was released without charges but said the investigation is ongoing, with detectives conducting interviews, collecting evidence, and reviewing video footage. Cops also noted that “the incident appears to have been precipitated from a personal matter and has not been determined to be politically motivated.” Sure. Nothing political about a Democrat throwing hands the same night she skipped a question about her campaign finances.
Skipper is the president of the Yonkers NAACP branch. Nolan, first elected in November 2021, founded the Michael Nolan Foundation in memory of his brother, an Oakland A’s baseball prospect who was killed in a 2015 drive-by shooting in Yonkers. He’s out here honoring his brother’s legacy while his opponent is getting handcuffed in a restroom.
The investigation continues, more video is apparently floating around, and Skipper promises “more information forthcoming.” Westchester County voters head to the polls soon, and they’ll get to decide whether they want a county legislator or someone who treats candidate forums like a pay-per-view event.
