After a physical confrontation outside an early-voting site Thursday, local union leader Gino Renne filed an assault complaint against Del. Gabriel Acevero, who said he plans to do the same.

Each accuses the other of starting the fight and throwing punches in an incident Thursday at about 6 p.m. at the Bohrer Park Activity Center in Gaithersburg, police said. The park, an early-voting site that day, attracted many candidates and their supporters.

Acevero, 35, is defending his seat representing District 39, which includes Montgomery Village and surrounding areas. The primary is on Tuesday.

Gaithersburg police said they made no arrests because when they arrived the men had been separated, and that involved parties were informed that they could pursue charges through the District Court commissioner’s office.

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Police said one person sustained minor injuries in the tussle, but did not indicate who.

Renne, 72, is seeking a misdemeanor second-degree assault case against Acevero, according to the union leader’s complaint. Court records also show that a summons was issued to Acevero for a preliminary hearing on July 28 in Montgomery County District Court.

Renne is president of UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO, which represents about 6,000 county employees.

On Friday he said Acevero triggered the confrontation after a union staffer pointed out that the delegate was campaigning past the boundary allowed by law. Renne said that he told Acevero he should know better and that Acevero attacked him after a verbal exchange.

“He decides to sucker punch me with a closed fist,” Renne said, adding that the union staffer came to his defense. Renne said he fell over a table.

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“I cut my leg and my elbow,” he said. “I got a fat lip.”

Acevero said in a statement Thursday that he was forced to defend himself against Renne.

“He took a swing at me,” the 35-year-old Acevero said. “I had to use physical force to defend myself.”

He added: “I plan to press charges against Mr. Renne.”

Acevero said the fight started when Renne began to “verbally harass” and shout at him.

District 39 voters elected Acevero, a Democrat, to his second four-year General Assembly term in 2022. He has served on the Appropriations Committee and chaired the Public Safety and Administration subcommittee. He is also a member of the Legislative Black Caucus and Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus.