Valentina Gomez

Valentina Gomez Noriega is an American far-right businesswoman and financier who ran as a candidate for in 2024. Her campaign followed the Lauren Boebert style of political campaigning perfectly: act irrationally hateful and look hot. It didn't work.Terrence T. McDonald, A bigot lost her election and her brother lost his job. I’m not shedding any tears. New Jersey Monitor, 7 August 2024. On December 18, 2024, Gomez announced she's moving to Texas to primary sitting Congressman Dan Crenshaw in 2026. She has produced quasi-fascistic content like a video demanding an immediate, extrajudicial execution of accused murderer Sebastian Zapeta in 2024.NYC Subway burning: Texas Republican Valentina Gomez shares 'public execution' video of immigrant, internet calls it 'horrifying (23 December, 2024 05:41 PM -8 GMT) The Economic Times
== Biography ==
Gomez was born on May 8, 1999, in Colombia and grew up in New Jersey. Her family emigrated from Colombia in 2009. She graduated with a bachelor's degree from Central Connecticut State University in 2019 and a Master of Business Administration from Tulane University in 2020. She was also a Division I College Swimmer. 
She worked as a finance employee working for Nestlé until June 3. 2024.https://archive.ph/XAAWm 
Gomez stated her that her employer Nestlé Purina tried to keep her quiet about attacking LGBTQ books in libraries. In February, Gomez took a flamethrower to two LGBTQ library books in a campaign video, Gomez went on to state she 'fired' her employer.https://meidasnews.com/news/gop-candidate-no-longer-working-for-nestl%C3%A9-purina-after-burning-lgbtq-library-books 
According to her, she only trusts three things: the Bible, the social media platform X - "Thank you, Elon Musk" - and her AR-15.https://www.instagram.com/p/C2EAbbjNoww/
== 2024 Missouri Secretary of State campaign ==
Gomez launched her campaign for in November 2023. She doubts the legitimacy of the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, and has promised to ban blow up voting machines in the state of Missouri if elected.https://archive.ph/QaubU She also wants to deploy the to oversee Missouri's elections.https://www.valentinaformissouri.com/turning-visions-into-missions-1 Please forget for a moment that the Missouri Secretary of State doesn't even have that power.
These promises, which are pretty much just basic American far-right positions taken to the extreme, have enabled her to gain both popularity among Missouri Republicans and endorsements from several conservative firebrand figures, including current U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz, who actually took the time to claim that there was "not another Secretary of State candidate in America possessing the energy of Valentina Gomez." (What?)https://archive.ph/JcCES and former U.S. Representative George Santos.
== From nobody to MObody ==
Gomez's rise to far-right stardom began on February 6, 2024, when she posted a video on X showing her burning two LGBT books called: "Queer: The Ultimate LGBTQ Guide for Teens", and "Naked: Not Your Average Sex Encyclopedia" with a homemade flamethrower.https://web.archive.org/web/20240208123055/https://twitter.com/ValentinaForSOS/status/1754964444776443937 For some strange, unfathomable reason, people freaked out. It's almost like she promised in the video to burn all "grooming books" in all of Missouri's public libraries upon getting elected or something. Oh wait — she did:
She actually said this.
Some people reacted by comparing the video to — what else? — the mass book burnings that took place in Nazi Germany. Others compared it to the novel Fahrenheit 451. Kathy Belge, co-author of one of the books burned, said Americans “should be concerned that a candidate for public office not only thinks book burning is acceptable, but that it is something that will help her get elected.”
On February 14-15, 2024, 706 Missouri Republicans were asked who they planned to vote for in the Republican primary of the 2024 Missouri Secretary of State election. Out of the eight candidates, Valentina Gomez came in third with 10%, which sounds great until you realize that the first-place finisher came in with 12%. 56% of those polled said they were undecided.https://web.archive.org/web/20240217150728/https://moscout.com/daily-updates-1/2024/2/17/moscout-weekender-lincoln-days-talk-new-statewide-republican-poll-hallway-on-2024-and-more
On May 12, 2024, Gomez's fame reached its peak (hopefully) when she released a somewhat less extreme (in the sense that a bee sting hurts somewhat less than a wasp sting) video on both X and Instagram of her jogging through the Soulard district of St. Louis, a heavily LGBT populated area, wearing a fitness vest (which many mistook for a bulletproof vest) and shorts, saying:
Her video quickly went viral, receiving at least 3 million views within four days. Democrats lost their cool because the video (1) insulted gay people for literally no reason whatsoever, and (2) looked just plain stupid. Many average Republicans just ignored the video for obvious reasons, but the far-right fell absolutely in love with her. The Gateway Pundit called her video "epic," and claimed that it was "pretty funny if you have a sense of humor unlike the libs."Conradson, Jordan. “HILARIOUS! Missouri Secretary of State Candidate Burns Pornographic Children’s Books and Posts on Social Media in EPIC Video | the Gateway Pundit | by Jordan Conradson.” The Gateway Pundit, 15 May 2024, www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/05/hilarious-missouri-secretary-state-candidate-who-burns-pornographic/. Accessed 23 May 2024. InfoWars also praised her for being "quite bold."Missouri GOP Candidate’s Videos Go Viral: “Don’t Be Weak & Gay.” (2024, May 15). Infowars. https://www.infowars.com/posts/missouri-gop-candidates-videos-go-viral-dont-be-weak-gay/ The comment sections of both articles are filled with people either praising her for her looks or her "courage," or claiming that Republicans shouldn't like her because she's from Colombia.
Instagram removed her video, causing her to claim to be "one of the most suppressed voices of Instagram" along with former U.S. president Donald Trump. 
Shortly after the video's release, the Pit Viper company asked Gomez to stop using their sunglasses in her social media videos. She responded by calling the company "weak and gay." She also called "weak and gay" after Lupe protested one of her songs ("The Show Goes On") being used in the video.
== Imitating Ben Shapiro ==
On June 1, 2024, two days after Donald Trump was convicted of felony falsification of business records, Gomez appeared on a music video with conservative rap artist Hi-Rez. The song was titled "America First," but featured the hashtag, "#FreeTrump."Culture, Ryan Smith Senior Pop, and Entertainment Reporter. “Gun-Toting Republican Candidate Raps on ‘Free Trump’ Song.” Newsweek, 3 June 2024, www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-valentina-gomez-america-first-hi-rez-video-1907295. Accessed 3 June 2024. In the video, Gomez raps:
She shared the video on X with the caption, "This is how to rap @benshapiro Facts don’t care about your feelings. America First w/ @HiRezTheRapper."https://twitter.com/ValentinaForSOS/status/1796939289478963703 As odd as it sounds, her music video is actually better than Shapiro's "Facts", mainly because she (1) didn't wear any goofy hoodies in it, and (2) is never recorded as having ever called rap "not music" or calling people who like rap "stupid."
== Associations with the alt-right ==
On January 6, 2024, she posed for a picture with Jacob Chansley.https://media1.riverfronttimes.com/riverfronttimes/imager/u/original/41834946/screen_shot_2024-02-08_at_1.23.56_pm.png Yes, the Jacob Chansley. The guy who pretended to be a buffalo at the U.S. Capitol. That day exactly three years earlier. That guy. She also endorsed his bid for Congress that same day.https://archive.ph/Q7Zuq
On May 3, 2024, Gomez praised white nationalist Nick Fuentes's reinstatement on X, saying "Long live the First Amendment." On May 19, 2024, Gomez again wrote approvingly of Fuentes, saying that "we may have some differences but putting America First unites us." (Does Gomez view Charles Lindbergh as having been a fellow patriot too?Dixon, Letricia. “Charles Lindbergh - Germany and the America First Movement | Britannica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Lindbergh/Germany-and-the-America-First-movement.)
Just to put icing on her cringey campaign's cake, Gomez made sure to tag manosphere influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate on her "don't be weak and gay" post.
== Other cringey things she has said/done ==
Gomez pretended to shoot a stormtrooper in one video.https://web.archive.org/web/20240530124244/https://x.com/ValentinaForSOS/status/1788798328571924510 If the Galactic Empire decides to invade Earth in 2025, do not fear, Missourians! Valentina Gomez will save the day! (As long as she's Secretary of State, of course.)
She managed to film herself next to Jordan Peterson, Joe Roganhttps://web.archive.org/web/20240530000900/https://www.facebook.com/reel/340997208665271 and Vivek Ramaswamy.https://web.archive.org/web/20240530123659/https://www.facebook.com/reel/369240499475081 Our guess is that she went up to them saying something like, "Oh, Mr. Peterson/Rogan/Ramaswamy! I'm a big fan! Can I get a picture with you?" They said yes, not having a clue who she was, and now she's deceptively using those pictures to imply that those three famous conservative figures actually want her to be Missouri's next Secretary of State.
She's constantly filming herself running marathons.https://web.archive.org/web/20240528003403/https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=426889460052806https://web.archive.org/web/20240530123659/https://www.facebook.com/reel/369240499475081https://web.archive.org/web/20240530004035/https://www.facebook.com/reel/371751422560212 Question: do the duties of Secretary of State require anything related to running, or even much physical skill at all? Answer: NO.
She's also constantly filming herself shooting an Her shooting ability is just as relevant to the race as her marathon attendance.
In Gomez's America, you can be anything you want... except a pro-Palestine protester. Be that and she'll shoot you.JordanConradson. “Valentina Gomez Dares Pro-Hamas Protesters to ‘F*Ck around and Find Out.’” Rumble.com, rumble.com/v4vegsl-valentina-gomez-dares-pro-hamas-protesters-to-fck-around-and-find-out.html. Accessed 30 May 2024.
On May 29, 2024, Gomez said in a tweet about Pride Month, "Why don’t we have a month celebrating American nationalism? Or a Family Month? Or Pussy Month, for all the pussies out there like Don Lemon."Hudson, David. “GOP Candidate Slams ‘Weak and Gay’ Pride Month in Vile Video Rant.” INTO, 31 May 2024, www.intomore.com/impact/politics/gop-candidate-slams-weak-and-gay-pride-month-in-vile-video-rant/. Accessed 3 June 2024.
One June 3, 2024, she "fired" her employer — Nestlé Purina PetCare — and recommended that her followers "feed your dogs something that is not weak and gay.”https://archive.ph/XAAWm Just one day earlier, she claimed that the NFL football team Kansas City Chiefs "are joining me in the fight against the weak and gay agenda.”Kishore, Divya. “Valentina Gomez Trashed for Saying Kansas City Chiefs Are Joining Her in ‘Fight against the Weak and Gay.’” MEAWW News, news.meaww.com/valentina-gomez-labeled-a-liar-for-saying-kansas-city-chiefs-are-joining-her-in-fight-against-the-weak-and-gay. Accessed 4 June 2024. (Do you believe that?)
== Why is she so popular? ==
How did a nobody running for Secretary of State actually get so popular among the far-right? Brandon Morse, a writer for the website RedState, has at least part of the answer: spite.
In the article, Morse makes the case for his belief that spite is "the most powerful of human emotions." This emotion is the main factor behind the rise of what Morse calls "the anti-PC right." He explains Gomez's unexpected popularity this way:
Despite holding far-right beliefs himself, Morse does not endorse Gomez's campaign, as:
According to Morse, "nearly everyone is sick and tired of the left's 'morality' policing," so "they're ready to just start spouting off whatever offends [people on the left] for the sake of offending them." Gomez's campaign proves this, as it is "a strong rebuke against the woke left and an indication of just how spiteful people are." Morse also notes that spite is a big factor behind Donald Trump's popularity as well as Gomez's. In fact, that may just be the main answer.
Gomez is the Donald Trump (albeit a young Hispanic female version of him) of the Most of her supporters know perfectly well that she won't be able to burn all the library books they don't like or place National Guardsmen on every polling place every time Missouri has an election. They know this the same way that most Trump supporters knew in 2016 that he would never actually "lock her up." They don't care about whether she actually follows her promises; what they do care about is that she made those promises — and edgy rhetoric — in the first place. They're angry at "the woke left," and Valentina Gomez has made it clear that she's angry too. None of the seven other candidates are doing that, so they obviously "aren't as courageous" as Gomez. Thus, she's the best choice for That's literally how her supporters' logic works.
To summarize, Gomez's supporters like her because, just like themselves, she drinks beer, shoots guns, and loves to trigger liberals.https://web.archive.org/web/20240528003403/https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=426889460052806
==References==
Category:2020 election denialists
Category:Alt-lite
Category:Antifeminism
Category:Anti-LGBT bigots
Category:Censorship
Category:Gun nuts
Category:Internalized discrimination
Category:Living people
Category:We're on a mission from God