Vulgar candidate references female body parts, dances on stripper pole in campaign videos — but is she a Democrat?

A female candidate running for Congress in Michigan is testing the old adage that, when it comes to politics, there's no such thing as negative attention.

Shelby Campbell, a 32-year-old apparently self-described "c***," is looking to unseat far-left radical Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar in the 13th district of Michigan, which includes Detroit and some neighboring cities. Thanedar was first elected in 2022.

There is also at least one video in which she imagines the genitalia of one of her male commenters.

To draw attention to her campaign, Campbell has released dozens of TikTok videos discussing, among other vulgar topics, how "f***able" she is, the explicit alleged circumstances surrounding the conception of the unborn child she claims to have aborted in 2023, and the fact that she "got some last night."

In multiple videos, Campbell flips the bird, while in other videos, she performs highly suggestive dance moves to songs with pornographic lyrics. In some, she even dances on a stripper pole, sometimes with a flag that reads "p***y power" in the background.

In one particularly uncouth alleged video that appears to have been deleted, she positions the camera to film up her shorts, then says, "I am a c***. Great. But would you know a cl** if you saw one?"

There is also at least one video in which she imagines the genitalia of one of her male commenters.

According to her campaign website, Campbell believes she can represent the 13th district well because she speaks the "language" of the people there and "can translate the lived experiences of working people into real policy." Perhaps to demonstrate her street cred, Campbell admits on the site that she has "been to jail" and even provides mug shots that document four arrests between 2012 and 2015.

"I’m not here to pretend I’m perfect," her website says.

"Leadership is shaped by lived experience, not perfection."

Her crude videos may have made the news, but she does have a political platform. She supports the Green New Deal, denounces capitalism as obsolete, demands "housing justice," slams "white women" for letting down their black sisters, and even though she claims to be a member of the United Auto Workers union and is vying to represent the Motor City, Campbell wants to increase public transportation and "reduce car dependency."

A caption in a video Campbell posted in December said that Charlie Kirk "died for what he believed in quit crying about it."

She also attended a No Kings rally in March and brought a sign reading "F**k ICE." Another similarly themed sign reads, "I like my ICE crushed."

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Photo of Rep. Shri Thanedar by Elizabeth Frantz; Washington Post/Getty Images

Campbell professes to detest the two-party system in America but claims that if forced to choose, she sides more with Democrats. The New York Post and some social media accounts have also characterized Campbell as a Democratic candidate, as does her Ballotpedia page.

However, the truth about her party affiliation is a bit more complicated.

Campbell confirmed in a statement to Blaze News that she completed "the necessary paperwork and collected enough signatures to qualify for the Democratic primary ballot" but ultimately decided to run as an independent.

"As an independent candidate, I have until July 15 to submit the required valid signatures for ballot access. I am confident I can do that because I already demonstrated the ability to organize and collect enough support during the Democratic primary process," she told Blaze News in an email.

A spokesperson for the Michigan Bureau of Elections confirmed to Blaze News that, as of Monday, Campbell had not yet formally filed petitions to run for Congress either as a Democrat or as an independent and that the deadline to file as a Democrat has already expired.

Multiple Republican candidates have filed to compete in the race, but the district is considered deep blue. The Michigan primary election will be held on August 4.

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