MUKILTEO, Wash. — Riaz Khan groaned as he sat down at a table in his home to work on his campaign for state office after suffering what he said was an unprovoked assault.
"I feel like I was targeted," he said.
Khan told KING 5 News Thursday someone had been removing his campaign signs in Mukilteo over the past week, so he started putting them back up in the middle of the night.
Khan said that's what he was doing between 2-3 a.m. Tuesday, when two white men approached in anger.
"They were talking about foreigner. You are foreigner. You support Trump," he said.
When asked if he thought the attack was more racially or politically motivated, Khan replied, "I think it was both."
Khan is Muslim of Indian origin and registered as a Republican. He's a former Mukilteo City Council member and currently running to represent the 21st Legislative District in the state House.
He said the men beat him with sticks before he turned around, showing a hammer he was using to pound sign stakes into the ground.
"If I didn't have a hammer in my hand I think their goal was to kill me," he said.
The Washington state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations denounced the alleged attack, adding the group has seen 8,061 complaints related to hate and bias in the first six months of 2024, compared to 2023. That's a 204% increase. It's the most in the organization's 30-year history.
"This is hate. This should not be happening," said Khan.
In a press release, Mukilteo police said they responded "within a minute" of the 911 call but a neither a suspect nor a vehicle were located. Because of the location of the alleged assault, police don't believe there are any witnesses or surveillance videos.
A police report obtained by KING 5 News states there were "black marks" on the back of Khan's clothing, but the responding officer "did not see any obvious marks or injuries" on Khan's body.
With less than a week until the election, Khan said this is not a publicity stunt.
The two alleged attackers were described as white men in their 30s to 40s with medium builds. One is about 5-foot, 10-inches tall, the other about 5-foot, 5-inches tall. The taller man has a goatee. Both were wearing black hoodies.
Anyone with information should contact crimetips@mukilteowa.gov or make an anonymous tip at mycrimereport.us.
For now, Khan tries to focus on his campaign, vowing not to be intimidated.
"We are not living in fear," he said. "We are strong. We are brave."