A Republican candidate in the upcoming Alabama House District 27 special election, Billy Ray Todd of Guntersville, was reportedly attacked by a woman while campaigning in Walmart. Todd said the woman was initially pleasant, but once the conversation went to politics, education – in particular, gender – she became combative and violent.

“I’m out campaigning, talking to a few people. I’m running for office, and my spiel is about education, to make sure that we get education and get the wokeness out of our schools,” Todd said in an interview on Tuesday. “And then this one lady I approached, she told me she was a ‘super liberal.’”

“And I said, well, you know, my deal is to get the wokeness out of school and to stop supporting the idea that there’s more than two genders. And she kept trying to tell me that there’s more than two genders.”

Todd said he tried to disengage with the woman and walk away as she turned more aggressive.

“She was sizing me up. She walked up to me real close, but she backed off. And then she charged me, she was coming at my face. So, I’ve got my arms at my face up. And I was able to get her in a hold and bring her down to the ground until everybody who came around the grabbed me and grabbed her at the same time,” he said. “She scratched me real good.”

Todd said he plans to file charges against the woman. Local police responded and took pictures of his injuries, pulled security camera footage from the store, and interviewed witnesses. He posted to social media about the altercation:

I was out campaigning at Walmart and was attacked by a woman who called herself a “super liberal.”
She charged at me and scratched me after I told her I didn’t believe in trans children. pic.twitter.com/m4JKXybf58

— Dr. Interracial 🇺🇸 (@billysandytodd) March 26, 2024

According to his campaign website, Todd is a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division, served 11 combat tours and received the Bronze Star.

“I decided to run for office after having witnessed teachers and a coach being falsely accused of racism to push DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in our schools. I was threatened with defending them,” his website reads.

Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270