Actor and author, Hill Harper is running for public office.
On Monday (July 10), Harper excitedly announced his candidacy to represent Michigan in the U.S Senate as a Democrat in the 2024 election.
“We can all feel it. D.C just isn’t getting things done for people – because special interests always come first.”
He continued, “As a union organizer, single dad, and business owner, I understand the challenges Michiganders are facing right now. They demand a Senator who’ll do what’s right for ALL of us – not just lobbyists. That’s why today, I’m announcing my campaign for U.S. Senate! ✊🏾”
In the video announcement, Harper shared how his son, who he officially adopted in 2017, is the motivation for his decision to represent Michigan.
“Dear Pierce, I am recording this video for you because I am about to make a big announcement, the Iowa native started.”
He proceeded by sharing his past work including starting a non-profit, being a cancer survivor, his work with Obama and as a best-selling author.
Harper, 57, is best known for his roles in ABC’s “The Good Doctor” and CBS’ “CSI: NY,” but also has a side career as an author of advice books such as Letters to a Young Brother and The Wealth Cure.
In 2018, Harper purchased and moved into the Charles T. Fisher Mansion in Detroit. He also has ownership stake in the Roasting Plant coffee shop.
In an interview with The Detroit News, he explained his decision to run for office. “Without energized, bold leadership in the U.S. Senate, our state will continue to be held back from achieving its full potential. We deserve a better brand of politics than politics as usual, and that’s why I’m running for the U.S. Senate.”
Harper added the Senate needs a “richness” of diversity, including life experience, and that he’d help fill that void.
“As an example, if I’m elected to the U.S. Senate, I will be the only U.S. senator who is a current dues-paying, card-carrying union member. If I’m elected to the U.S. Senate, I will be one of very few small business owners in the U.S. Senate and, I believe, the only Democrat,” Harper said.
Currently only three Black men serve in the U.S. Senate ― Sens. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey; Raphael Warnock, D-Georgia; and Tim Scott, R-South Carolina ― and no Black women.