Republican political ad features unconsented AI generated images of NC drag queens
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A Republican political ad in North Carolina is being criticized after it was revealed to feature an AI-generated clip of local drag performers and a political opponent.
The 30-second attack ad displays Democratic candidate Jamie Ager dancing with drag queens at a barn dance that never existed.
“Jamie Ager talks like you and me on TV, but he’s dancing with they/them,” the narrator says. State Rep. Jennifer Balkcom approved the ad, and the National Republican Congressional Campaign paid for it.
Democrat Jamie Ager (NC-11) hosted the drag queen barn dance featuring Sister Dominatrix and Sister Helen Holy in his barn with kids. Last month, Ager wrote a check to Blue Ridge Pride whose family-friendly festival featured Divine Hullern and Will Pounder. Jenny Ager talks like you and me on TV, but he's dancing with they/them.
— NCGOP (@NCGOP) October 22, 2026
Balkcom and Ager are running to take the District 11 Congressional seat with Election Day (Nov. 3) coming in a matter of days. The seat has largely been Republican-held and hasn't turned blue since 2007.
Two Asheville drag performers, Nova and Divinity Holeburn, claim the ad features their likeness without their consent. They also claim the event depicted in the clip never occurred.
As a result, the drag artists demand the removal of the campaign video and have issued cease-and-desist letters to Jennifer Balkcom’s campaign.
“None of it was real,” said Nova in an interview with WLOS. “I’ve never met the man in my life. I’m going to be honest with you: I ain’t never been to a barn dance in my life.
Nova goes on to reflect on the harm the ad does not only to her public image, but also that of the LGBTQ+ community. “And it’s not just us in the ads that are mad. It’s the entire LGBTQ in western North Carolina,” she told WLOS.
“I feel like they are mocking the community. I think this idea that drag queens want to indoctrinate children is a huge aspect of this, and that is simply not the truth.”
North Carolina’s lax AI transparency laws keep the ad running. The state does not require campaigns to disclose the use of artificial intelligence in political ads. The technology is something increasingly being seen used in the political sphere.
Ager’s team has released a statement regarding the situation, denouncing Balkcom’s AI usage in political adverts. “Our opponent is attacking Jamie with 100% fake, AI-generated ads.”
She can’t win on the truth, so she is using AI to lie,” Ager campaign manager Grayson Barnette said, according to the Raleigh News & Observer.
“It’s insulting to the intelligence of voters in western North Carolina and another example of the exact corrupt system he is running against. Jamie got into this race because we can and must do politics better.”