‘The Good Doctor’s Hill Harper To Run For Michigan U.S. Senate Seat

Ted Johnson
·3-min read

Hill Harper is joining a crowded field of candidates seeking the Democratic nomination in Michigan for an open U.S. Senate seat.

Harper, regular on The Good Doctor and previously part of the cast of CSI: NY, said in his campaign announcement, set up as if he is delivering a message to his son, that “at the core of too much of this are politicians in office that don’t really care about people.”

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“I believe that our government should work for the people, be a force for good, and protect our freedoms, and that won’t happen if we keep electing the same type of people to office.”

Harper’s message appeared to be a contrast to the figure viewed as the leading contender for the race: Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), a Democratic moderate who announced her bid shortly after incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) announced her retirement. Slotkin raised $5.8 million in just over four months, according to the AP. Other candidates have joined the race for the party nomination since then, including Pamela Pugh, a member of the state education board, and Leslie Love, a former state representative.

Harper was an avid backer of Barack Obama in his two presidential campaigns, having been a classmate of his at Harvard Law School. In 2012, Obama appointed Harper to a presidential cancer panel. The actor wrote about his battle with thyroid cancer in the book The Wealth Cure: Putting Money In Its Place. He also is the author of other books including Letters to a Young Brother and Letters to a Young Sister. He also is the founder of the Manifest Your Destiny Foundation.

Harper was born in Iowa and has lived in California, but owns a house in Detroit and a coffee shop in the city, Roasting Plant Coffee.

He is the latest entertainment figure to take the plunge into elective politics, a move that has produced varying results for Democratic candidates. American Idol star Clay Aiken has waged two unsuccessful bids for Congress in North Carolina, while it’s far more common for showbiz figures to consider campaigns but ultimately decide against it. Melissa Gilbert announced a bid for a Michigan congressional seat in 2016, but dropped out for medical reasons. Harper has been emphasizing other experience before his on-screen career. He wrote on Twitter, “I’m a union organizer. I’m a single dad. I’m a small business owner. And, yes, I’m an actor. But here’s what I’m NOT: A career politician.”

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