A female Democrat running to be Michigan's next attorney general says in a new online ad released this week that voters should support her because of her sex, but for a reason not typically seen during a political campaign.
Dana Nessel argues in her new ad, flagged by HuffPost, that Michigan residents should vote for her because they can trust that she will not show them her penis in the workplace—because she does not have one.
"If the last few weeks have taught us anything, it's that we need more women in positions of power, not less," she says in the ad. "So when you're choosing Michigan's next attorney general, ask yourself this: Who can you trust most not to show you their penis in a professional setting? Is it the candidate who doesn't have a penis? I'd say so."
Headlines about sex scandals involving male politicians flash across the screen as Nessel promises to never engage in such behavior.
Nessel proposes that voters should elect more women to stop sexual harassment, suggesting that if more women hold authoritative positions, such behavior will be less common in the workplace.
The Democratic candidate also pushes back against the notion that the Michigan Democratic Party should not have an all-female ticket" in 2018; with Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D., Mich.) up for reelection, the party's nominees for the statewide offices of senator, governor, attorney general, and secretary of state may all be women, HuffPost noted.
Nessel says that "pundits and insiders" are asking, "Can we afford to have a female governor, a female attorney general, and a female secretary of state?"
"Well, I read the news, and I bet you do too," Nessel continues. "And it has me wondering: can we afford not to?"
Nessel then promises not to sexually harass her staff, tolerate such behavior in other workplaces, walk around in a half-open bathrobe, nor use taxpayer money to "join right-wing lawsuits that make it harder for you to get health insurance."
"Yes, I'm a woman. That's not a liability; that's an asset," she says. "I'm Dana Nessel. I approve of putting more women on the ticket in November, and I approve this message."
Nessel released her campaign ad amid an ongoing national discussion on sexual harassment following several allegations of sexual misconduct levied against powerful men in politics, media, and the entertainment industry.
Nessel defended her ad on Wednesday to a local Fox station, saying that she does not believe she crossed any lines.
"I think the ad was rather tame when it comes to the news stories that have come out whether they are journalists, whether they're in Hollywood, or whether they're political representatives—we've heard some pretty lewd stories come out," Nessel said.