Young Republicans mock cisgender candidate for Congress over likeness to Dylan Mulvaney

A Young Republicans group in Florida mocked a Democratic candidate for Congress for a resemblance to trans actress and activist Dylan Mulvaney. Now Jennifer Jenkins, who is cisgender, is demanding her Republican opponent denounce the anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric.

The attack originated when Jenkins, who is challenging Republican Florida Rep. Mike Haridopolos for a Florida seat, promoted a Town Hall on Facebook. The Space Coast Young Republicans responded in comments on the post with a single image of Mulvaney.

Things didn’t stop there, though. Later, Austin Ayers, a former candidate for Congress in North Carolina, posted about Jenkins on his Facebook page. “Jennifer Jenkins For Florida is CANCELLING her bid for Congress to pursue other career choices!” he posted, with an image of Mulvaney.

After Jenkins responded, commenting, “Oh dear lord you Republicans are scared,” Ayers wrote, “So I hear you’re going to be taking a position on the street corner. Does it pay well?”

Mulvaney became the subject of right-wing attacks in 2023 after a brief partnership and social media promotion with Bud Light.

Jenkins posted at length about the bizarre attack. While Jenkins is not transgender, she has fought anti-trans extremists, including defeating Tina Descovich, one of the founders of Moms For Liberty, in a Florida school board race.

“Imagine being so desperate to defend Mike Haridopolos that your big political strategy is... calling an opponent ‘Dylan Mulvaney.’ That's it? That's the joke?” Jenkins posted on her own Facebook page.

She said the race should be about addressing housing costs and health care costs, but Republicans were focused on “just the same tired obsession with transgender people that Republicans drag out whenever they don't want to talk about their record.”

“These aren't random internet trolls. These are the Space Coast Young Republicans who knock doors for Mike Haridopolos, campaign for Haridopolos, and proudly represent Haridopolos. Which is especially rich coming from a group whose peers spent more time explaining its own group chat scandals than discussing actual policy,” she posted. “Here's the difference: I can handle the attacks. I've been dealing with bullies since I beat the founder of Moms for Liberty.”

Jenkins appeared to be referencing a widely publicized Telegram group chat with leaders of Young Republicans groups in several states that included racist remarks and admiration of Nazis, as reported by POLITICO.

“The real question is why the people surrounding Mike Haridopolos are so comfortable with this kind of behavior and why he never seems to have a problem with it,” Jenkins posted.