Republican who told voters not to be 'weak and gay' and jogged around in a bulletproof jacket learns her fate in Missouri primary
A Missouri Republican who took the abrasive campaign strategy of telling her voters to not be 'weak and gay' and torched LGBTQ books has learned her political fate.
Valentina Gomez, a 25-year-old real estate investor, caused controversy when she posted a campaign video disparaging gay voters.
'In America, you can be anything you want, so don’t be weak and gay,' Gomez said while jogging in a bulletproof vest in a stunning campaign video. 'Stay f***ing hard.'
The candidate also stirred up drama after posting a video burning LGBTQ books she called 'indoctrinating and sexualizing.'
It turns out Gomez was seemingly not a strong enough candidate and lost her GOP primary Tuesday, only securing seven percent of the vote.
She did not win a single county, sealing her embarrassing defeat after her loud-mouthed campaign antics.
Gomez lost her bid for Missouri Secretary of State after an outlandish campaign where she insulted voters and burnt books
Republican Denny Hoskins beat seven candidates, including Gomez, to secure the GOP's backing before the November election.
He won with 24 percent of the vote. Gomez, meanwhile, secured the fifth most amount of votes from Missouri Republicans, according to local outlet KSDK.
Since her loss, Gomez has not posted a statement addressing the outcome of the race.
She did, however, post a video of her allegedly catching a pedophile on the night of her election.
'One down, many more to go,' she said in a video posted Tuesday on X showing a man getting apprehended by police behind her.
'I don't care where the pedophiles are hiding whether they are in our churches, schools or government,' she said. 'We're coming for you and every single citizen across the entire country needs to step up.'
Antics like catching a pedophile were the main entree offered by Gomez's campaign, not a side, leading to her gaining much notoriety during her bid.
Chief among them was when she shared footage of herself setting two LGBTQ-inclusive books on fire in February, characterizing the literature as 'grooming, indoctrinating and sexualizing'.
'When I’m Secretary of State, I will BURN all books that are grooming, indoctrinating, and sexualizing our children. MAGA. America First,' she wrote on X.
After Instagram removed the video, Gomez told HuffPost she was: 'Just like President Trump,' adding: 'I am one of the most suppressed voices on Instagram.'
Gomez has previously said 'don't be gay,' when referencing 'countries that ban rifles, guns or even flamethrowers,’ as reported by radio station WCPT.
Her social media bio reads: 'Jesus is King. MAGA. America First.'
She opposes vaccine mandates and the 'transgender agenda,' both stances playing central roles in her failed campaign.
Gomez is a prominent gun rights advocate who frequently posts pictures of herself holding and shooting firearms
Gomez took a flamethrower to 'grooming, indoctrinating and sexualizing' books in a viral video shared as part of her campaign
Her social media bio reads: 'Jesus is King. MAGA. America First'
Gomez has also expressed admiration for Andrew Tate who is accused of human trafficking in Romania.
Gomez attracted lots of attention for her controversial stances and provocative videos
According to her LinkedIn, she has worked at Nestle Purina since October 2021.
Viewers quickly went to work responding to her latest campaign video, posted May 12, with many people calling her 'cringe' and 'pathetic' for running around with a bulletproof vest.
Liberal radio host John Shannon wrote: 'Nothing displays weakness more than taking a morning jog with a Kevlar vest on.'
There were some replies supporting her, but they were buried amid an onslaught of attacks and jokes at her expense.
Gomez, a Colombia native, is on the ballot in the August 6 GOP primary to choose the candidate for secretary of state
Gomez has garnered a reputation for wading into conservative culture war issues - one of her favorites includes protecting children from the 'transgender agenda,' as she puts it on her campaign website.
She attacked transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney ahead of Mulvaney's speech to students at Saint Louis University, a Jesuit college in St. Louis.
'That dude is mocking women,' Gomez said in a video filmed in front of the university's campus.
'It doesn't matter how many surgeries, shots, or hormones you get, a man will never become a woman.'
Gomez is seen with former presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy
Gomez has garnered a reputation for wading into conservative culture war issues
Gomez attacked Dylan Mulvaney, who spoke at a Missouri Jesuit college. She called Mulvaney 'a dude' with 'a penis'
Since the secretary of state serves as the chief elections official in Missouri, Gomez had floated plans to revamp the electoral system.
She believes the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump, which possibly informs her idea to 'remove electronic voting machines to successfully transition towards universal paper ballot hand counting,' per her campaign website.
