An adult film star named Stormy Daniels has announced her plans to run for the Louisiana Senate seat in 2010, seat currently held by Republican David Vitter, whose family-values reputation was marred when it emerged he had visited prostitutes.
Stormy Daniels, an adult film star, is exploring the possibility of challenging Louisiana U.S. Sen. David Vitter when he stands for re-election Photo: AP
Miss Daniels, 30, born in Louisiana, insists she's serious and is spending her own money on a "listening tour" to hear what people have to say as she considers a possible run, and said she isn't just starting a publicity stunt to promote her work or embarrass Mr Vitter.
However, she said she hasn't lived in Louisiana for seven years – she currently resides in Florida – and would need to re-establish residency to run.
Miss Daniels, who is not affiliated to a political party, backs some issues common to many candidates, including bringing troops home sooner from Iraq and replacing the federal income tax with a national sales tax. Others are closer to her professional background, including pushing to remove child pornography from the Internet and keeping minors from viewing adult material.
She doesn't want to take questions about Mr Vitter.
"I think it's about time David Vitter started answering David Vitter questions," she said.
Mr Vitter has steadfastly refused to discuss the "serious sin" he confessed to after his phone number was linked to Deborah Palfrey, the so-called "D C Madam" who committed suicide as she faced prison time for running a prostitution ring that catered to the powerful. His office declined to comment Wednesday on Miss Daniels' possible candidacy.
Mr Vitter, 48, kept a low profile in the months after his scandal broke but has emerged as a chief critic of government bailouts and President Barack Obama's spending plans – popular stands in a state that went solidly for Republican John McCain in last year's presidential election.
He also has been aggressively fund-raising, amassing $2.5 million in campaign funds for what will be his first re-election attempt since the Palfrey scandal broke. He won the Senate seat for the first time in 2004, spending more than $7 million to defeat four major opponents for the open position.
Noting Mr Vitter's solid conservative stances and his healthy campaign account, Ed Chervenak, a political-science professor at the University of New Orleans, doesn't think a Daniels candidacy would do much damage.
"It's probably going to be fairly easy for him to ignore her," he said.
"What it really shows is the lack of any real credible Democratic challenger," he added.
Pollster and political consultant Bernie Pinsonat agreed. But he said a possible Daniels candidacy could be a distraction if Mr Vitter is challenged in next year's Republican primary.
"Is she a threat to beat him? No. Is she really going to run? I seriously doubt it," Pinsonat said. "But if I had my druthers and I was running the campaign of David Vitter, I would rather she not be there."
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