Allegations of body shaming on the campaign trail have already sent shock waves through the presidential race. Now, one woman running for office has released a powerful — and personal — new video addressing the issue head-on.
"Like a lot of women, I've struggled with my weight," Emily Cain, a U.S. House candidate in Maine's second district, says in a new ad released by her campaign. "It's hard. It's very personal."
The ad was in response to a recent attack from the National Republican Congressional Committee. The NRCC's commercial slams Cain, a Democrat, for legislation she sponsored as a state senator that would require Maine's public schools to record students' weights.
"Emily, your bill is a violation of our kids' privacy," one woman in the Republican ad states.
But, as The Portland Press-Herald pointed out, the ad fails to note that the proposed legislation, meant to collect data about childhood obesity, would have kept the records confidential and given parents the ability to opt out on behalf of their kids.
Cain's ad fires back at her opponents for trying to "exploit the insecurities of teenage girls" to distract voters from the record of her opponent, incumbent GOP Rep. Bruce Poliquin.
"Well, now we've seen it all," she says in the ad. "The special interests bankrolling Bruce Poliquin would rather talk about women's weight than Congressman Poliquin's ties to Wall Street. Their false attacks twist the truth about a public health policy both Democrats and Republicans supported."
While Donald Trump's comments about various women's bodies have made headlines throughout the campaign, it's rare to see candidates talk about their own experiences with body image. Will this ad set a powerful new precedent? See for yourself below.
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