ShamWow: Guess Who’s Running for Congress in Texas

The infamous infomercial pitchman who made products like “ShamWow” and “Slap Chop” household names is back — and this time, he’s pitching himself for Congress.The fast-talking salesman who once hawked super-absorbent towels at 2 a.m., Vince Shlomi, has entered the Republican primary race for Texas’s 31st Congressional District. He’s one of at least five candidates vying for the seat in this GOP stronghold north of Austin, which encompasses Fort Hood and the capital’s conservative suburbs.News of his bid was first surfaced on X in a post by reporter for The Texan News, Brad Johnson, who spotted the name “Offer Vince ‘ShamWow’ Shlomi had filed for candidacy.“The newest filed candidate for the #TX31 GOP primary (no I’m not kidding),” he wrote along with a GIF of Mr. Shlomi during his infomercial days.Mr. Shlomi is the latest candidate to challenge Congressman John R. Carter, 84, who has held the seat for more than two decades in the sprawling district north of Austin. Mr. Carter cruised to victory in 2024 and is running again with more than $630,000 already raised. Shlomi is one of several Republicans taking on the incumbent in what’s shaping up to be a crowded primary field.The pitchman is running on what he calls an Anti-Woke agenda. In an interview with Fox News, he said he was motivated to run for office to “destroy wokeism” and that “political infighting in the country,” inspired him to “make America happy.”In a video that appeared after he filed for candidacy, Mr. Shlomi is seen standing in front of a church with rainbow-colored steps giving his pitch.“The woke churches are after our kids’ nuts,” he says in the video seemingly referring to Transgender issues.“Not no more, were’ not chopping nuts. You’re gonna love your nuts with the ShamWow guy,” he added, referring to a popular tagline from his infomercial for the “Slap Chop” kitchen gadget.“He also released a vulgar parody music video on X called “Woke Busters” set to the theme of the old “Ghost Busters” theme.Mr. Shlomi became a pop-culture phenomenon in the 2000s with his rapid-fire infomercials that turned the super-absorbent ShamWow towel into a cultural touchstone.But his meteoric rise came with baggage. He was dogged by high-profile controversies — including allegations of harassment and physical altercations — before fading from the public eye in recent years.In 2009, Shlomi was arrested in Miami Beach following a violent altercation with a sex worker — an incident that exploded across tabloids when police photos of his battered face went public.

ShamWow: Guess Who’s Running for Congress in Texas

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