Robert Pittenger, the former state senator from Charlotte running for lieutenant governor, was eating lunch at Saturday's GOP convention next to Rep. Howard Coble when Coble cracked a joke.
Pittenger started laughing and part of his lunch lodged in his throat, Jim Morrill reports.
Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, on other end, heard the commotion and rushed over, performing a Heimlich maneuver that cleared Pittenger's throat. Pittenger left the dais as Huckabee, the luncheon's keynote speaker, returned to his seat.
"To me this is just typical Mike Huckabee," Pittenger said later. "He's just a decent fun guy who cares about people."
