What stripper turned congressional candidate Alexandra Hunt wants you to know – By Audra Heinrichs (The Independent) / February 15, 2022
EXCLUSIVE: Alexandra Hunt has had to put up with repeated references to her former profession as she stands for election in Pennsylvania. But she hopes her own experiences could make her a more effective lawmaker, she tells Audra Heinrichs
“The idea of running for office and being a politician kind of makes me throw up in my mouth a little,” admits Alexandra Hunt with a sheepish grin. It’s an unorthodox take from a woman currently running for Congress to represent Pennsylvania’s 3rd district (PA-03). Then again, unorthodox is kind of her brand.
Since announcing her candidacy as the first known former sex worker to run for Congress last February, Hunt, 28, has become recognised by the public as a “former stripper” and “trauma survivor”, identifiers that harken back to Hunt’s decade-old stint as a dancer to help put herself through college at the University of Richmond. Suffice it to say however, she’s made relative peace with being regarded as such – even poking fun at the often puritanical sensationalism of it all via “Elect Hoes” merchandise and a series of expository TikToks. For Hunt, it’s not so much a scarlet letter as it is a way to connect with people who keenly understand that existing in the current US landscape is more expensive than ever – from skyrocketing costs in education to healthcare to housing – and quite simply, sex work in all of its varying forms has become more common as a result.
“Political consultants and advisers are worried how my past could be used against me and I understand that,” says Hunt. “There have been so many insults and assumptions about my character because of it, but at the end of the day, that just means I know what it means to struggle to survive and be dehumanised by politicians and policy, so I can relate to folks through those means.”
