Ahead of last week’s cantonales, or regional elections, in France, the far-right Front Nationale party blanketed the country with literature featuring its photogenic leader, Marine Le Pen, rather than the candidates French citizens will actually be voting for. That’s because they’re people like Sandra Kaz, who moonlights as an escort in Belgium. In the first round of the cantonales, Kaz received 24 percent of the vote in Coudekerque-Branche, a suburb of the northern French city of Dunkirk, on the Belgian border. Her escort profile, which pictured her writhing in sexy lingerie and holding a snake, advertised her as a cultivée companion who is a literature student and speaks six languages. Kaz also, according to the profile, sings in a rock band and is a fan of Marilyn Manson—and, after her day on the campaign trail, she’ll be glad to accompany a desiring Frenchman on a number of “diverse outings.” The French press quickly took to calling Kaz an espèce d’ovni—“a kind of UFO.”
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Back in 2003, California voters grew tired of Gov. Gray Davis and demanded a recall election. A complete circus followed: The 2003 California gubernatorial recall election drew such candidates as former Diff’rent Strokes star Gary Coleman, Hustler publisher Larry Flynt, Arianna Huffington, and even a porn star. Yes, Mary Carey—named for her resemblance to singer Mariah Carey—signed with Kick Ass Pictures and, as a publicity stunt, ran for governor. Carey ran on a 10-point plan that included gems like “tax breast implants,” “make lap dances a tax-deductible business expense,” and a “Porn for Pistols” program to get guns off the streets. Arnold Schwarzenegger eventually won the election, receiving close to 49 percent of the vote, while Carey placed tenth in the field of 135 candidates. At least she probably had Charlie Sheen’s vote.
Alex J. Berliner / AP Photo
Formerly known as the “Manhattan Madam,” Kristin Davis—no, not the Sex and the City actress—was famous for running the prostitution ring allegedly frequented by New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, prior to the Ashley Dupré prostitution scandal that led to his resignation. After serving four months in Riker’s Island prison, she decided to throw her hat in the ring in the 2010 New York gubernatorial election. Naming her party the “Anti-Prohibition Party,” she ran on a platform of legalizing prostitution, marijuana, and same-sex marriage. “I am confident I can collect more than enough signatures from cadres of escorts, ex-escorts, strippers, dancers, domes, gays, lesbians, Libertarians, Ron Paul supporters, U.S. Marines, rappers who revere the pimp or other lovers of freedom,” said Davis. Davis was sadly mistaken, collecting just 20,898 votes—less than half the amount needed to qualify as a political party.
MCT / Landov
Call this the bunga-bunga ticket: Last February, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi lost two teeth after he was smashed in the face during a political rally, and was treated by sexy dental hygienist Nicole Minetti. Just months later, Minetti, a former dancer on two of the media mogul’s channels, showed up on the list of prospective regional councilors for Lombardy in northern Italy, representing Berlusconi’s People of Freedom Party despite having no political experience whatsoever. Other Berlusconi political recruits included former Miss Italy contestant and an ex-weathergirl. “Berlusconi chooses candidates more for their good looks than for their experience,” said Anna Finocchiaro, the senate leader of the Democratic Party. “He's filled parliament with beautiful girls, albeit competent, but they don't count for anything within the party.”
Luca Bruno / AP Photo
Convicted of prostitution in 1962, this self-described prostitute- cum-feminist founded the organization COYOTE in 1973. Standing for Call Off Your Tired Old Ethics, the group’s goal was to decriminalize prostitution in the U.S. In 1980, St. James sought the Republican Party nomination for president of the U.S., going so far as to distribute loads of COYOTE buttons with an image of a woman’s backside doubling as a penis, bearing the slogan, “My ass is mine.” She was unsuccessful, but undeterred. In 1996, St. James ran to become a member of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, and received an impressive 76,000 votes, but was ranked fifth in a race where only the top four were seated. St. James was married to Paul Avery, a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle who shot to fame for his coverage of the Zodiac serial killer case. He was portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. in David Fincher’s 2007 film, Zodiac.
AP Photo
