WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 19: Vince Offer attends the Hollywood Domino annual pre-Oscar charity soiree at Sunset Tower Hotel on February 19, 2015 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)
AUSTIN - Offer Vince Shlomi, the entrepreneur widely known to television viewers as the high-energy "ShamWow guy," has filed to run for the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican in Texas’ 31st Congressional District, according to state election records.
"ShamWow" guy running for Congress
What we know:
The filing, received Friday, Nov. 21, was submitted under the name Offer Vince "ShamWow" Shlomi, according to an article published by Fox News Digital.
Shlomi, 61, is aiming to unseat eight-term incumbent Republican Rep. John Carter, 84, who is seeking re-election in the district, a reliably red stronghold that encompasses northern Austin suburbs, Temple and Fort Hood. Shlomi is reportedly one of at least 12 candidates seeking the Republican nomination in the primary.
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The Israeli-American entrepreneur stated his decision to seek office was fueled by a desire to "destroy wokeism" and "make America happy." Shlomi told Fox News Digital that his run is also a tribute to the late Charlie Kirk, whom he called the original "woke buster."
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Shlomi became a pop-culture fixture in the 2000s for his ubiquitous, fast-paced infomercials advertising the super-absorbent "ShamWow" towel.
Dig deeper:
His public profile, however, has also been accompanied by high-profile controversies. His background includes a 2009 arrest in Miami Beach following an alleged violent physical altercation with a sex worker, an incident that resulted in widely circulated police photos, the Fox News article noted. Shlomi also faced earlier legal issues related to his 1999 film, "The Underground Comedy Movie."
In this handout, Israeli-American infomercial pitchman, director, writer, and comedian Vince Offer in a mug shot following his arrest in Miami Beach, Florida, US, 18th April 2009. (Photo by Kypros/Getty Images)
Shlomi has since maintained a lower profile, focusing on marketing and entrepreneurship as president and CEO of his TV marketing company, Square One Entertainment.
Who else is running in the 31st Congressional District Race?
As of Nov. 24, here are the people who have
- John Carter - Incumbent
- William Abel
- David Berry
- Steven Dowell
- Abhiram Garapati
- Valentina Gomez Noriega
- Raymond Hamden
- Jack McConnell
- Mike Williams
- Ryan Guillen
- Kevin Sparks
- Ed Ewald — pending application
- Offer Vince "ShamWow" Shlomi — pending application
When is the District 31 election?
- Primary Election: Tuesday, March 3, 2026 (This is when the multiple Republican candidates will face off.)
- Primary Runoff (if needed): Tuesday, May 26, 2026 (If no candidate receives over 50% of the vote in the Primary.)
- General Election: Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (The winner of the Republican Primary will face the winner of the Democratic Primary in the general election.)
The Source: Information in this article is from Fox News Digital, the Texas GOP website, OpenCampaign.com, and previous FOX Local coverage.