Transgender Democrat Senate candidate Ashley Webb, who is running to replace scandal-plagued Graham Platner in Maine, used a flattering artificial-intelligence image of a young woman to promote his memoir, according to a report published Friday.
The report said Webb, a male living as a female, shared an AI-generated image of a woman in a purple dress to advertise the book I Am Ashley, an image the outlet noted looks nothing like the candidate.
Webb is one of several Democrats vying for the party’s Senate nomination in Maine. He identifies as intersex. On the Amazon author page, he calls himself a “whistleblower” and “survivor” who turned “her truth into testimony.”
The candidate appeared Thursday night at a News Center Maine debate alongside seven other Democrats. Asked what qualified him for the Senate, Webb pointed to some creative output.
“I ran for office several times, didn’t win but did run. But I’m a songwriter and I write my own books, and I suppose my transparency,” Webb said.
When a moderator asked whether the candidates supported Medicare for All, Webb replied, “I’m actually on Medicare.”
Conservative commentator Dave Rubin posted, “Surely you can’t be serious.” Author Bethany Mandel wrote that she could not be convinced the moment was real.
Platner quit the primary on July 10. His exit followed a run of scandals, including a Nazi-linked tattoo and explicit messages he reportedly sent to women while married. Now Maine Democrats are hunting for someone to take on Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in November.