Republican Political Candidate Who Posted Online ‘Excited to Meet and Talk with Voters About the Future,’ Choked One Teen, Slapped Another and Got Arrested While Wearing his Campaign Shirt

“I am ‘excited to meet and talk with voters about the future,'” says a Republican political candidate who ended up choking one teenager, slapping another and getting himself arrested while wearing his campaign shirt.

George S. Bardmesser, a 59-year-old candidate for a city commission seat in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, found himself behind bars after a violent incident at his own campaign event.

Bardmesser was arrested on Sunday afternoon for choking one teenager and slapping another during the event, resulting in two counts of child abuse without causing great bodily harm.

The incident unfolded during a “Republican Coffee Meet-Up” held at El Tropico Cuban Cuisine on Collins Avenue, roughly 15 miles northeast of Miami.

Bardmesser had posted on his Facebook page that he was “excited to meet and talk with voters about the future,” but the event took an unexpected turn.

According to an arrest report, Bardmesser was seated inside the restaurant when a confrontation erupted with several local political leaders at a nearby table. The verbal exchange quickly escalated into physical violence.

Witnesses reported that Bardmesser put one of the teens in a chokehold and slapped another during the altercation. Pedro Vera, the owner of El Tropico, recounted the chaos that erupted.

“A couple of kids were sitting there, and something they said seemed to set him off,” Vera explained. “He put one in a chokehold and slapped another. He completely lost control. This should never have happened.”

Video footage shows Bardmesser approaching the group of teens, grabbing one from behind and putting him in a chokehold. When bystanders intervened, Bardmesser is seen slapping the other teen. The victims were 15 and 16 years old.

The teenagers were attending the event with Sunny Isles Commissioner Fabiola Stuyvesant, who expressed her shock to WPLG. “I would never bring my kids to a political event if I thought they were in danger,” Stuyvesant said. “As a parent, it’s horrifying to see your child hurt by an adult.”

Following the incident, Bardmesser was processed at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and appeared in court on Monday morning.

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer set his bond at $5,000 and imposed strict conditions, including no contact with the victims and maintaining a distance of at least 500 feet from them.

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Records indicate that Bardmesser had posted bond by Monday afternoon.