Voters often demand to know more about candidates seeking office. In Arizona, there’s one gubernatorial candidate who runs the unusual risk of oversharing.
Meet Noah Dyer.
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Dyer, 36, lives in Glendale and is running as a Democratic candidate in Arizona. He is preempting any political attacks by throwing caution to the wind and hanging out all of his potentially dirty laundry for the world to see. He said he decided to pursue this path because voters have few politicians they can trust, and he wanted to let them know he was one of the straight shooters.
His website has an entire section dedicated to “scandal and controversy” that details everything from his personal finances to his sex life. And he wants voters to know he's had lots and lots of sex.
He details his divorce.
He wants you to know he's in a lot of debt.
“Even if I could have gotten away without sharing those things, it would have put me in a place where I would have felt I would have had to tiptoe for my time as governor, and that’s not what I’m about,” Dyer told BuzzFeed News. “So I wanted to be honest with people, I wanted to be comfortable with myself, I wanted people to be comfortable with the real me.”
Dyer also touts the book he authored, Successful Scrumbutt.
People have noticed.
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Proposed campaign slogan: "Noah Dyer for Governor: He Fucks."
Arizona's current governor, Republican Doug Ducey, was elected in 2014. So far, Dyer is the only Democratic gubernatorial candidate.
No one but Dyer thought this was a good idea.
Dyer said he decided on his strategy despite advice he received. But he added no one in his life was upset with him for pursuing his honesty policy, and that he does not regret deciding to be so transparent.
"All I got was universal support for my run," Dyer said. "People are asking to have their own privacy respected, and I intend to do that."
If anything, Dyer said he believes that deciding to be so open has increased his appeal to voters.
Last night I spoke to Arizona's filmmakers. Here's what I said about improving our national image.
Within the state, he said voters are interested in talking with him about issues. And outside of the state, he said people are "excited" about the strategy.
So...is there anything else voters should know about that isn't already on the website?
"'No' is the short answer. The worst thing that could happen to me was to still be labeled a typical politician after all of this," Dyer said with a laugh. "The only thing that could happen would be details emerging that are consistent with the story that I've told."