The campaign said it learned of the arrest from U.S. Capitol Police on Oct. 6. It said investigators believed the teenager had been radicalized, was under federal surveillance and was planning an attack on behalf of ISIS. The teen’s identity has not been made public, and no further details about potential charges or evidence were provided.

The alleged target was a veterans’ chili cook-off fundraiser on Oct. 17 that Self was expected to attend. Self said he increased his awareness and security after learning about the threat, but went to the event as planned. He told NBC 5 that he judged 19 chilis and three pots of beans, and that nothing happened.

Self said the arrest made the threat more serious than others he had received. He said his military experience helped him remain calm, while emphasizing that his team took the possibility of further danger seriously. He has continued campaigning and meeting voters during early voting, which is underway across Texas.

The FBI’s Dallas office had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication. The allegations have not been independently detailed by federal authorities, and the teenager’s identity remains undisclosed.

The arrest comes amid a contentious political climate in Self’s district. In September, he introduced a nonbinding congressional resolution opposing the implementation of Sharia law in the United States. In McKinney, the City Council’s August approval of a site plan for a mosque expansion followed hours of heated public comment and prompted an effort to recall several council members. No information released about the alleged plot connects it to those local debates.

Evan Hunt, Self’s opponent in the midterm race, also condemned the alleged plot in a social media post.