Transgender woman challenges Florida congressional candidate over campaign ad

A transgender woman is calling out congressional candidate Jim Oberweis after a private letter she wrote was featured in his campaign ad, sparking controversy.

Jenna Satterfield, a vocal advocate for transgender rights, said she never expected her message to appear in the TV commercial and is now asking for the ad to be taken off the air or for her name to be removed.

"When I saw the new ad, the one where he mentions my name, I'm like, what the," Satterfield said.

The ad includes a line referencing Satterfield, saying, "Man, they really hate me. From Jenna."

Satterfield said she is publicly asking Oberweis to address the issue.

"I'm actually asking him, in public, to correct something that he did wrong," she said.

Oberweis declined to respond on camera, but his campaign team issued a statement defending the ad.

"We stand by our ad. The transexual named Jenna 'outed' himself when he started seeking attention. We never revealed Jenna's last name or other identifying information. Jenna happily stepped right into the spotlight purposefully in order to promote the transexual agenda," the statement said.

Satterfield expressed frustration with the campaign's response.

"With him hanging that target on my back, I really don't appreciate that," she said.

The ad has drawn mixed reactions from viewers. Emma Bown of Fort Myers said, "It doesn't really make sense to me. It's just kind of childish. So, it doesn't really convey a message."

Others, like Daniel McClure and Maria Torres, had differing opinions.

"I love the satire. That's funny," McClure said.

Torres added, "I don't really understand kind of what it's trying to show to people."

Both agreed that the ad's focus might not align with more pressing issues.

"I don't think that is the most important thing we can focus on right now — how about property tax," McClure said.

Oberweis, one of 13 Republicans vying for the seat held by Byron Donalds, was unavailable for comment on his birthday. His campaign and Jim Schwartzel are the only two candidates currently advertising on TV.