'Very Liberal' Candidate Releases Own Sex Tape to Break From the Pack

A third-party candidate running against longtime Representative Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat, released his own sex tape to highlight his sex-positive platform.

Mike Itkis, an independent candidate running for the House of Representatives in Manhattan's 12th District, uploaded the 13-minute video to a popular porn website as a "conversation piece," the 53-year-old told City & State on Friday. The 2021 video, titled "Bucket List Bonanza," depicts him having sex with adult film star Nicole Sage.

"If I would just talk about it [his platform], it wouldn't demonstrate my commitment to the issue," Itkis, who describes himself as "very liberal," told the news outlet. "And the fact I actually did it was a huge learning experience, and it actually influenced items on my platform."

On his campaign website, Itkis said he supports sexual rights and "actively oppose[s] the conservative idea that sex should only happen between a man and a woman who are married to each other." Issues on his platform include legalizing sex work, ending adultery laws, protecting privacy rights and redefining the abortion debate as "a right to unplanned sex."

On his campaign website, it also says that "men should not be required to support biological children without prior agreement."

Itkis is one of three candidates who will appear on the general ballot next month. He is running against Nadler and Republican candidate Mike Zumbluskas, who told City & State that he understood Itkis' decision to release his own sex tape.

"You gotta do what you gotta do," Zumbluskas said. "The media ignores everybody that's not a Democrat in the city."

Nadler is widely expected to win the heavily Democratic district that has only been represented by one Republican congressman in the last 147 years. The Democratic primary for the race was closely-watched this year after redistricting pitted two incumbents against one another.

Representative Carolyn Maloney, who has been in Congress since 1993, ultimately lost to Nadler after the 15-term congressman secured 56.3 percent of the Democratic vote last month.

On Friday, Itkis said that while he made the risky decision of publishing the sex tape, he's "very much an introvert."

"I'm kind of a nerd who doesn't like to be the center of attention if I can avoid it," the congressional candidate said. "But I thought the issues I'm trying to address are so important...I wanted to have my issues talked about in some way."

Itkis has emphasized his willingness to break from establishment politics, saying that while he is "uncompromisingly opposed to the Republican legislative agenda," he also has "significant disagreements" with the Democrats.

"I am a liberal with drastically different views, not one that marches in lockstep with the Democratic party," he tweeted earlier this month.

Newsweek reached out to Itkis' campaign for comment.