West Texas candidate Sarah Stogner is receiving immense attention online after almost baring it all in a recent social media political campaign. She is running as a Republican Railroad Commission candidate, standing for a seat in the commission that controls the State’s oil and gas industry. Her advertising agenda was completely out of the box and has left the internet debating whether it was a smart political move or not.
Sarah Stogner uploaded a video to TikTok and Twitter showcasing herself wearing a wide-brimmed hat, boots, and little else. She was seen sitting on top of an oil pumpjack. The uploads’ narration says:
“Stronger with Stogner. Please vote early.”
Oil and gas attorney Stogner is one among three candidates. She is running against incumbent Wayne Christian.
Why did Sarah Stogner create the debatable political advertisement?
Stogner said that she decided to post the clip as her "Super Bowl ad" as part of her campaign, which is collecting donations mainly from social media and in-person events. She added:
“I’ve been screaming and jumping up and down about very important things that are technically complicated and kind of scary. But now that I’ve got your attention, you know, let’s talk about them.”
Internet reacts to the debate-worthy political campaign:
Sarah Stogner fights back against backlash
Following the advertisement’s release, San Antonio Express-News took back their endorsement of her and called the video “disgraceful.” Stogner responded to the same, stating that she was a victim of sexism. She added that “when you have bo*bs, you get held to different standards.”
After dealing with the scrutiny online, she took to Twitter and stated:
“They said I need money. I have other assets.”
She also stated that one needs to be aware of how they use social media. She mentioned her motto - “use social media, or it will use you.”
The political candidate also encouraged the next generation of governments to be “fierce” and fearless.”
Stogner mentioned that she had created the footage in November last year, however, she decided to upload it when announcing her campaign. She added that she wanted to make sure that her campaign ideas were on par with those of other candidates.