(NewsNation) — New York’s 12th Congressional District candidate Mike Itkis released a sex tape as part of his campaign efforts.

“I’m very grateful for the tape,” Itkis said during a Tuesday night appearance on NewsNation’s “Banfield.” “It was the most effective means to bring awareness to the campaign and the sex-positive agenda.”

Itkis, who is running as an independent, said he had a sense that talking about “issues that other politicians are ignoring” would create a buzz.

“The video was uploaded to an adult site. So there was never any intent for anyone underage to see it,” Itkis said.” “As far as human sexuality itself, it’s a very powerful force in politics and economics really, in every aspect of our lives. So we can’t just be ignoring it.”

Itkis added that a lot of laws currently in place are “very outdated” and that they need to be addressed.