DETROIT – Actor Hill Harper, known for his roles in “The Good Doctor” and CSI: NY” television series, announced on Monday that he will seek the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in Michigan.
Harper, 57, is challenging U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, The Detroit News reported. Slotkin is seen as the frontrunner for the seat that will be vacated by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, according to The New York Times.
Stabenow, 73, announced in January that she would not be seeking a fifth term in 2024, The Associated Press reported.
“We’re in a state where I think the triple blue leadership in Lansing has done really hard work moving the state forward, but in Washington, D.C., it’s still broken,” Harper told the News. “And folks feel like it’s still broken. And I’m one of them.”
Harper has never held public office, according to the newspaper. He is seen as a progressive who wants to expand Social Security and access to affordable health care, along with addressing income inequality and student debt, the Times reported.
According to the Times, Harper joins a crowded field for the Senate seat that includes Leslie Love, a former state lawmaker; and Pamela Pugh, who serves as president of the Michigan State Board of Education.
Born in Iowa City, Iowa, Harper bought the Roasting Plant coffee shop in downtown Detroit and moved to the city in 2018 after buying the historic Charles T. Fisher mansion, the News reported.
He attended Brown University and Harvard Law School before becoming an actor, the AP reported.
He starred on “CSI: NY” as Sheldon Hawkes in 197 episodes from 2004 to 2013, according to IMDb.com. He has appeared on “The Good Doctor” as Dr. Marcus Andrews since 2017, according to the entertainment database website.
Harper also has written advice books such as “Letters to a Young Brother” and “The Wealth Cure,” the News reported.
Running for the Senate seat from the Republican Party are Nikki Snyder, a member of the State Board of Education; and Ezra Scott, a former Berrien County commissioner, the Times reported.
