Actor Hill Harper announced Monday that he’s running for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat, challenging U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) for the Democratic nomination.
The actor, who is known for his role on the ABC drama series “The Good Doctor,” owns a home and a coffee shop in Detroit and describes himself as a small business owner and activist. Harper said that because he’s not a “career politician,” it will give him better perspective for the job.
“It’s not about party. It’s about people feeling represented,” Harper told the Associated Press in an interview while announcing his candidacy. “And being an independent voice in the U.S. Senate is something I believe Michiganders want right now.”
Besides playing Dr. Marcus Andrews on “The Good Doctor” since 2017, Harper is known for his work on “City of Angels,” “CSI: NY,” “Covert Affairs,” “Limitless,” and “Homeland.” He attended Brown University and Harvard Law School. He’s been acting since the age of 7.
Harper is the sixth Democratic candidate to enter the race, per Fox News. Other candidates besides Slotkin include former Michigan state Rep. Leslie Love, Michigan State Education Board member Pamela Pugh, attorney Zack Burns, and civil rights advocate Nasser Beydoun.
In 2012, Harper was appointed to then-President Barack Obama’s cancer panel in 2012.
Michigan Board of Education member Nikki Snyder and business owner Michael Hoover are both seeking the Republican nomination.
A Republican hasn’t won an open Senate seat in the state since 1994.
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Harper previously discussed some of his thoughts on the racial wealth gap when he was keynote speaker at Providence College in February.
“I think these next five to 10 years are going to determine [the trajectory of things]. If we really are going to be honest and break down what’s happening, it’s no coincidence that the billionaires of this world are figuring out how they’re traveling to different planets,” the actor said.
“People are setting things up that this planet’s going to get left in the dust. I mean that’s where we’re headed. And it’s the microcosms happening in many countries. You go to so many countries where you have all these gated communities and then people living in shanties right out there. If we don’t, that’s going to happen here. That’s where we’re heading. What does that look like? It looks like police states. It’s gross, and it’s unconscionable.”