New Hampshire poet Stephen Redic, 70, arrested over polling-place assault
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Laconia police arrested 70-year-old poet Stephen Redic on misdemeanor assault charges after a debate at a Turning Point Action booth turned physical.
The case centers on a viral video that Redic says tells only part of the story.
Background
Stephen Redic is a 70-year-old Laconia, New Hampshire resident described in reports as a poet and author of a book of poems, and listed on LinkedIn as a retired writer and humorist. The incident happened outside a polling place on Election Day, Nov. 3, 2026, during get-out-the-vote efforts, at an informational booth run by Turning Point Action, a conservative advocacy group described as co-founded by Charlie Kirk. Police said Redic approached the tent as he was leaving and wanted to read a poem about rich people; the poem itself is not in the video that circulated.
How it unfolded
- Nov 3, 2026Laconia police were called at 2:42 p.m. to the Ward 5 polling location at Woodland Heights Elementary School for a reported assault; the victim said a man approached the Turning Point Action booth to read a poem about rich people and the debate turned physical.
- Nov 3, 2026Video of the encounter was shared on X by Turning Point that afternoon.
- Nov 4, 2026Stephen Redic, 70, was arrested just before 8 a.m. on charges of simple assault, a misdemeanor, and disorderly conduct, a violation; police said they had located video evidence and spoken with witnesses before issuing a warrant.
- Dec 10, 2026Redic is scheduled to be arraigned in Laconia District Court.
Key terms
- polling place
- A location where voters cast their ballots in elections.
- misdemeanor
- A lesser criminal act, typically punished less severely than a felony.
- arraigned
- Formally read criminal charges in court and asked to enter a plea.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Police Chief Matt Canfield said the department had no prior contacts with Redic and described him as heated and opinionated, adding that the confrontation built until he assaulted the other man and that there are two different sides to the story.
- Public
- Laconia Mayor Mike Bordes shared the video online and called the incident absolutely disgusting and completely unacceptable.
- Party
- Redic told News 9 the video only tells part of the story, but said his actions were inexcusable and he apologizes.
Still unverified
The Sun reported that other reports claimed Redic is a widower and described him as an elderly Democrat; The Sun also placed the incident shortly before 3 p.m. on Wednesday, while other sources place it on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The teenager's identity has not been publicly revealed.