Ethan Miller/Getty Images
- Dan Rodimer is running for a congressional seat in Texas as a cowboy hat-wearing bull rider.
- He lost a race in Nevada last year where he ran as a suburban family man.
- Critics including Rep. Matt Gaetz accused him of pandering for Texan's votes.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Dan Rodimer, a New Jersey native and former pro-wrestler, is running for Congress in Texas's 6th Congressional District as a cowboy hat-wearing bull rider.
Rodimer, however, also ran for a congressional seat in Nevada last year as "a small businessman, a family man, living in the suburbs," and lost in November.
So it appears that he's switched tacks.
"Send Big Dan to Congress. I know how to handle Nancy Pelosi and stop her bullsh*t," Rodimer says in his new ad, which features a new, more gravelly voice.
In his Nevada ad, Rodimer can be seen surrounded by his children, speaking in a softer voice. In the ad for his new campaign, he's riding a bull and sporting a throaty Texas accent.
His campaign website says he used to live in Houston and owned a home in Galveston, but the two cities aren't near the district he's running in.
Some critics are calling him a phony who's playing up a fake Texas twang to garner votes.
"Fake Texan makes fake video of fake bull ride. We already have enough phonies in congress," Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz tweeted Friday. "Texas shouldn't import its congressmen. Big Dan is all hat, no cattle."
Rodimer told CNN on Monday that he did use a body double for parts of the bull ride shown in the ad.
"I actually stayed on for 11 seconds and the only reason I was able to get off -- well, unfortunately, my hand was stuck, so I couldn't get off sooner -- we didn't get the full filming of it, and, yeah, we had other people jump in to be body doubles," he said.
Rodimer has been mired in controversy regarding previous physical assault allegations during his 2020 campaign. His wife was featured in a campaign video explaining 911 calls she made against him in 2018 before they were married. At the time, she alleged he stole money, jewelry, and guns from her.
Rodimer's campaign did not reply to Insider's email request for comment at the time of publication.