Questions I want to ask Trisha Paytas about her potential Congressional run
This week, influencer Trisha Paytas teased a potential congressional run in a TikTok video with over five million views. (She also mentioned it in a YouTube video titled "2026 MANIFESTATIONS.")
The idea for her to be a California representative came to her in a dream, she said. "My main goal is to make it...adult work, not be legal until you're 25," she continued. (Paytas has posted content to OnlyFans in the past.) She has many other "agendas" too.
"I never thought of myself as a political person until I started having kids," Paytas said, and realized the world can be "dystopian." She said her campaign slogan would be "California could be good."
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Paytas hasn't yet filed paperwork to run as of this writing, according to a search on the Federal Election Commission website. However, she mentioned important deadlines in her video, such as the need to formally declare her candidacy by March 6 (which appears correct according to the qualification requirements on California's government website).
Paytas didn't elaborate on her political leanings, nor has she posted about it on TikTok in the days following (though commenters are already saying they'll vote for her). She also didn't respond to my request for an interview.
Given that our president is a literal reality TV star, we shouldn't dismiss Paytas. With that in mind, I have some questions for her, in no particular order:
What political party are you joining, if any?
Why limit adult work to people 25 and up?
What qualifies as "adult work," exactly?
How do you feel about age-verification laws (which typically require visitors to websites that host explicit content to input personal data like a government ID or facial scan)?
What are the other bills you want to present, as you mentioned in your YouTube video?
Will you continue your podcast, Just Trish, if you win?
Do you have any other political aspirations?
If Paytas is interested in responding, my inbox is always open.
Anna Iovine is the associate editor of features at Mashable. Previously, as the sex and relationships reporter, she covered topics ranging from dating apps to pelvic pain. Before Mashable, Anna was a social editor at VICE and freelanced for publications such as Slate and the Columbia Journalism Review. Follow her on Bluesky.
