Candidate Jack Davis in scuffle with GOP tracker (video)

Jack Davis, who is running in the special election to replace former Rep. Chris Lee for New York's 26th district congressional seat, was involved in a videotaped scuffle with a Republican volunteer questioning why he was not participating in a debate.

A 15-second video posted to YouTube shows Davis asking the tracker, "you want punched out?" He (and possibly another man) then appears to strike the camera or the volunteer. Davis then laughs. The other man the appears to hit the tracker as he continues to ask questions. You can see the footage above.

A spokesman for Davis, Curtis Ellis, responded to the video in a statement, as WIVB reports.

"You have an operative from an opposing campaign harassing and assaulting a candidate for federal office," he said. "This person was pushing a camera in Jack's face, preventing him from getting in his car. Standing in his way, trying to antagonize him and trying to get video that would look like far more than what actually happened."

Davis, who is 78, is running in the May 24 special election to replace Lee, a Republican who resigned after acknowledging sending shirtless photos to a woman he met on Craigslist. His primary opponents in the Republican-leaning district are Republican Jane Corwin and Democrat Kathy Hochul, and his presence has complicated the race: Davis is a former Democrat who is now running on a "Tea Party" line - without the backing of the Tea Party - and is believed to be eating into Corwin's support. Republicans have reportedly been distributing the clip to reporters in an apparent attempt to damage Davis.

Allies of Davis, who is seeking the seat for the fourth time, are calling for the full video to be released, with one, David Bellavia, writing on Twitter: "Release both the uncut tapes Langworthy or you are a coward!" Nick Langworthy is Erie County Republican Chairman; he told the Tonawanda News that he is "really surprised by Jack Davis' unhinged behavior."