Texas Republican candidate causes outrage with anti-Islamic campaign ad

WorldPolitics
27 Aug 2025 • 8:22 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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  • Republican congressional candidate Valentina Gomez has caused outrage by posting a campaign video showing her setting fire to the Quran with a flamethrower.
  • Gomez, who is running for Texas’ 31st District in 2026, stated her aim to “end Islam” in the state, despite Muslims comprising only about one percent of Texas’s population.
  • The video, shared on X, quickly drew widespread condemnation, with critics describing it as incitement and hate speech.
  • Gomez has a history of controversial stunts and using hateful rhetoric against Muslims, the LGBT+ community, Black people, and immigrants.
  • Her past actions include staging a mock execution of an immigrant and burning LGBTQ+ books, and she previously failed in a Republican primary race in Missouri.

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