Two porn stars' gubernatorial campagins

"Pursuing Their Naked Ambition," The Hartford Courant

The gubernatorial campaigns of Melody "Mimi" Damayo and Mary Carey could be seen as dirty politics, but their experience and exposure in adult films gives them some advantage, political pundits say.

"The whole notion that campaigns are supposed to rip off the veneer of a candidate - most porn stars leave very little hidden even before they get into the political arena," said Walter Shapiro, Washington bureau chief for Salon magazine.

"The porn star could say that although certainly interested in [fornicating], at least he or she isn't interested in [despoiling] the country, like most of the politicians who already are in," William Bike, author of the book "Winning Political Campaigns," wrote in an e-mail. "Or, the porn star could say that electing him or her would protect the little guy - after all, who knows more about protection?"

Damayo, a former adult-film actress with the stage name Mimi Miyagi, is running for governor of Nevada. Carey, who is still active in the porn business, finished 10th among 135 candidates in California's 2003 gubernatorial election.