A far-right social media influencer who has built her political identity around confrontation is claiming Texas Republicans have shut her out of party events, while also alleging, without evidence, that she has been removed from the voter rolls.
Valentina Gomez, a controversial online figure with more than 400,000 followers, posted a video to Instagram on Wednesday, accusing the Republican Party of Texas of being “so corrupt.” Gomez, who describes herself as a Colombian immigrant and a MAGA conservative, said she was banned from party functions after she “expos[ed] the horrible health condition of 84-year-old Congressman John Carter,” the longtime representative for Texas’ 31st Congressional District.
In the same video, Gomez escalated her accusations, claiming she is “under investigation by multiple federal agencies.” She also alleged that officials “used their power to remove me from the voting rolls,” adding that “they made it illegal for me to cast my vote.”
Gomez offered no evidence for either claim. Her video quickly shifted from complaints to campaigning. She urged supporters to “send your mailing ballot to Texas,” described her run as “David versus Goliath,” and asked viewers to “vote me to Congress.” The clip ended with inflammatory rhetoric, as Gomez pledged to “make Texas the worst place for terrorist Muslims, illegals, and corrupt politicians to live in,” followed by a religious sign-off.
However, local Republican officials have described the situation differently. According to the Williamson County Sun, Gomez was barred from county GOP events following an altercation at a party. Party leaders reportedly said the decision was tied to her conduct, not her political positions.
The paper reported the incident involved Carter, 84, who has held the seat since 2003. In a January 27 statement, Williamson County Republican chair Michelle Evans criticised Gomez’s actions at the event, saying the influencer used the gathering for attention.
“Unfortunately, an opportunistic candidate for Congressional District 31 chose to turn this joyous occasion into a campaign gimmick for social media clout,” Evans said. “The type of self-serving behavior displayed Saturday is unacceptable in this context, and this candidate has been informed that she is no longer permitted to attend our private events or meetings.”
Despite Gomez’s claim that she was removed from the voting rolls, Texas election procedures require documented processes for any changes in voter registration status. No election officials have publicly confirmed any action affecting her eligibility.
The latest controversy follows a familiar trajectory for Gomez. She previously ran in Missouri as a Republican candidate for secretary of state in 2024, finishing near the bottom in a crowded primary. That campaign drew national attention for inflammatory stunts, anti-LGBTQ+ slurs, and repeated attacks on transgender people.
LGBTQ+ advocacy group GLAAD has documented her online activity, accusing her of spreading dehumanising rhetoric that contributed to harassment and threats against queer people. Meta later disabled her Instagram account for repeated violations of its policies.
After her 2024 loss, Gomez resurfaced in Texas to challenge Carter, continuing to promote aggressive culture war messaging. In recent videos, she has vowed to “kick every… Muslim out of Texas” and claimed she wants to make the state “free from terrorists and illegals,” language that has drawn criticism, including from within Republican circles.