A political hopeful who made national headlines this year with his viral anti-LGBTQ campaign videos has lost his bid for the Republican nomination for Missouri secretary of state.
Self-proclaimed “America-First-Mag” Republican Valentina Gomez finished sixth in Tuesday’s eight-person primary. with 7.4% of the vote. Missouri Sen. Denny Hoskins won with 24.4% of the vote and will face Missouri Rep. Barbara Phifer, Democrat, and Carl Herman Freese, Libertarian, in November.
When asked about the results Wednesday, Gomez said, “He made history in the name of Jesus Christ.”
“I was a nobody and God made me one of the most feared, respected and loved women in American politics. I put the fear of God on pedophiles, gentlemen, and corrupt politicians. I have never sold out, told the truth, or done what is right for the American people,” he wrote in an email. Popular among the anti-LGBTQ movement.
Gomez made national headlines for the first time in February, he vowed to ban such books if elected Missouri secretary of state.
Into video, Gomez said, “these books come from the Missouri public library; They will burn when I am in office.” Books on fire include Queer: The Ultimate LGBTQ Guide for Teens, which includes advice for queer teens dealing with homophobia and homophobia.
Then, in May, he appealed to voters in a video posted on X, saying in part: “In America, you can be anything you want, so don’t be weak and gay.”
When asked if those videos affected the outcome of his preliminary examination, Gomez said, “I stand by every one of my words and videos because they will stand the test of time.” He then doubled down on his inflammatory anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.
“Kids should learn math, science and history, not learn to cut body parts and become gay,” he said. “Darwinism will take care of these LGBTQ people who have castrated themselves and are unable to reproduce.”
Gomez’s inflammatory campaign has also affected the political career of her brother Jonathan Gomez, who has contributed heavily to his sister’s campaign, according to publicly available information. Jonathan Gomez was fired as an aide to Jersey City, New Jersey Mayor Stephen Fulop after the donations became public; he is also a member of the Mayor’s LGBTQ+ Task Force.
In response to a video message from Valentina Gomez on X – where threatened to sue Fulop for firing his brother and said the mayor “sounds like a dictator” – Fulop wrote, “your brother was the employee the city ‘wanted’ – as of tomorrow he is no longer working there because he does not reflect the values of the city.”
Before the altercation between his sister and Fulop on social media, Jonathan Gomez shared a Message in X He said he loved his sister but didn’t agree with everything she said, adding that he “does not support any hate speech directed at the LGBTQ+ community or any individual.”
When asked for comment, Fulop’s office referred NBC News Facebook video Fulop said during a question-and-answer session with reporters that Jonathan Gomez’s resignation is still pending.
Jonathan Gomez did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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