Tipsheet

Clips Attacking Salem's Chris Stigall in Congressional Primary Exposed As Deceptive

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  April 17, 2026 5:00 PM

Let’s cut to the chase here: There’s a crowded primary to replace outgoing Republican Rep. Sam Graves (MO-6). Radio host Chris Stigall has decided to toss his hat in the ring. He’s being attacked by a local math teacher and Kansas City councilman Nathan Willett. It’s a fight over who is really the Trump Republican running to replace Graves.

Willett decided to dredge up some clips of Stigall, who is now returning fire, showing they were deceptively edited.

Meanwhile, The Daily Caller’s Amber Duke exposed Willett for possibly being "woke," especially on the transgender stuff:

The race to replace retiring Republican Missouri Rep. Sam Graves is shaping up to be a two-person fight between radio host Christ Stigall and math teacher Nathan Willett. 

Graves has already endorsed Stigall, and conservative groups are warning that Willett is “woke.”

Come And Take It PAC is launching an ad campaign Friday that runs well into the six figures against Willett, the Daily Caller has exclusively learned. 

Willett, the ad states, opposed President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender members of the military and voted to fly pride flags around Kansas City as a member of the city council. 

The tweet opposing Trump’s transgender troops ban was sent when Willett was serving as the University of Missouri student body president in 2017. 

As a member of the Kansas City City Council, Willett voted to designate October as LGBTQ+ History Month and to spend $631,890 on HIV outreach programs — including for transgenders — condom distribution, and promotion of safe sex strategies to gays. 

Not mentioned in the ad is Willett’s relationship with prominent transgender activists. Brandon Boulware is a father who testified against legislation that would prevent his son, who identified as a girl, from competing against girls in sports. Boulware and his wife, Jenny, have donated $8700 to Willett’s political campaigns since 2022. Brandon and Willett are also friends on Facebook.

Yeah, that sounds like anathema to a true GOP base, just saying.

Some of this reminds me of the 2010 California Senate race, where Carly Fiorina’s campaign created the "demon sheep" ad against opponent Tom Campbell, elevating the "wolf in sheep’s clothing" phrase to new heights.