NY congressional hopeful admits posting sex tape
New York congressional candidate Mike Itkis has released a video of himself having sex with an adult film actress, saying he wants to show his commitment to sex positivity.
Mike Itkis uploaded the 13-minute video entitled ‘Bucket List Bonanza’ on PornHub during the summer, and publicly acknowledged it on Friday, according to local media. The tape, which was made in 2021, depicts him and porn actress Nicole Sage. The 53-year-old describes himself as a “liberal independent candidate” and is running for New York's 12th congressional district.
Speaking to the news outlet City & State, Itkis claimed that speaking openly about sex positivity was not enough. “If I would just talk about it, it wouldn’t demonstrate my commitment to the issue,” he stated, adding: “the fact I actually did it was a huge learning experience.”
The congressional hopeful went on to explain that ‘Bucket List Bonanza’ was his first time having sex on camera. Describing himself as “an introvert” and “a nerd who doesn’t like to be the center of attention,” Itkis said he went forward with the plan because “I thought the issues I’m trying to address are so important.”
According to Itkis’ campaign website, he stands for a “sex positive approach,” supports legalizing sex work and abortion rights for women, and opposes “the conservative idea that sex should only happen between a man and a woman who are married to each other.”
Mike Itkis was born in Odessa, Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union), moved to New York in 1979 and served in the US Army as a Cyber Operations Officer, his biography page says. Itkis describes himself as “Not married. No kids. Not celibate. Atheist.”
The Manhattan candidate is running in a long-shot attempt to unseat Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a veteran Democrat, who won primary against his fellow Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney in the 12th district. Although Nadler is now representing the 10th congressional district, this year he had to face Maloney due to redistricting.
