A New York senator has refused to apologize after sharing a video of herself twerking in a campaign video.
Yes, it would appear as if campaigning for votes has come a long way from the days of knocking on doors and putting up posters.
Democrat Tiara Mack, the Rhode Island State Senator for District 6, recently shared a video to TikTok in which she asks her followers to "vote Senator Mack" - after twerking in a bikini.
The TikTok post was shared on July 4 and has since amassed more than 165,000 views on the platform. However, not everybody in the comments section agreed with the 28-year-old's method of attracting voters.
Check out Mack's video below:One person commented: "If her opponent doesn't use this video, do they even want to win??"
A second critic wrote: "Wow! And this is the future of your party!?? Ugh".
The clip was even shared by Tucker Carlson on his Fox News show, with the outspoken host sarcastically declaring that Mack "demonstrated talent".
"We saw Tiara Mack, head in the sand, twerking, and we thought, 'Man, that’s the Democratic Party,'" Carlson quipped.
But Mack did have many supporters who loved her video, with one person commenting: "Y’all really need to remember politicians are still people, they aren’t forced to behave like you want, they’re forced to do their job. Move along."
And another fan added: "Yes queeeeeen. If more politicians acted like they were normal people, I would feel more able to trust them."
In response to the divided reaction her video had, Mack told TMZ: "I am not going to apologize for being myself and for living a joyful life and for being unapologetically myself in every instance and enjoying a beautiful day off.
"I am not going to apologize for showing exactly and telling exactly who I am every single step of the way of my campaign. For the folks who voted for me, they know that Tiara Mack is a silly, authentic, and sometimes bold leader.
"I will not apologize for being who I am. I will not apologize for leading my community with a new and fresh voice and mobilizing more people to stand up for their rights alongside me.
"I will not apologize for showing the young, queer Black women that they can live a joyful love and still make a positive impact in their community."
With a smile on her face, Mack then says: "And I will not apologize for being able to do a headstand and I will not apologize for, you know, having enough cake to twerk.
Responding to the backlash she is now facing, Mack added: "It is no shock that criticism about me enjoying my free time and using my body to express joy with a small group of friends while on a beach, in a bikini that many people wear is coming on the heels of the overturning of Roe v. Wade."
The politician also revealed that since posting the twerking video, she has faced a barrage of racist and misogynistic comments, with people apparently calling her "fat" and the "n-word". In fact, Mack says many of the comments she has received have been "racially motivated" or aimed at her body - rather than her policies.
"It is very convenient for the GOP to try and create a narrative that Black people and people of color are changing society," Mack added, before saying that just because the "people that lead our country look different, doesn't mean that it's bad - it's just different."
"We need new people to shake up how we've done things," Mack says. "I hope that more people can see that you can twerk and have fun and you can also make a tangible impact in your communities for the better."
