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Ben Savage
Emma McIntyre/Getty
Boy meets office!
In August 2022, Savage announced that he was running for a seat on the city council of West Hollywood, California, his longtime place of residence.
“There are serious challenges ahead and West Hollywood deserves sensible, honest and strong leadership to face them,” Savage wrote on hiscampaign website. “We need new leaders with a fresh perspective who are ready to begin tackling these issues.”
According toLA Weekly,he was forecasted to come in ninth place with 6 percent of the vote.
Schiff is expected to run forU.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat, although Feinstein, 89, has yet to make a decision on her future, according toDeadline.
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Anson Williams
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty
The former starof the beloved sitcomHappy Daysannounced that he will run for mayor in Ojai, California, theOjai Valley Newsreported in June 2022.
During the city council meeting that was open to the public on June 28, Williams, 72, noted that Ojai needs “leadership that inspires a collaborative team.”
According to theLos Angeles Times, Williams would compete againstOjai Mayor Betsy Stix, who is running for reelection.
03of 27Clay AikenPhillip Faraone/FilmMagicHe was the runner-up on the second season ofAmerican Idol, and Aiken’s 2014 Congressional hopes ended with a similar outcome. Running as a Democrat in a conservative-leaning North Carolina district, he lost against the incumbent, Rep. Renee Ellmers. If Aiken had won, it would have been a substantial feat, as he would have been the first openly gay congressperson from the South.In 2022,he decided to give it another go, announcing his campaign for North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District on Jan. 10.“These days my life looks a lot more like yours thanJustin Bieber’s, that I can promise you,” he said. “But one thing that has never changed for me is how much I love my home state.““We have gotta get better at speaking up and using our voices ‘cause those folks ain’t quieting down anytime soon,” he continued of “divisive” politicians. “That’s why I’m running for Congress, here in this community that raised me and where I first discovered my voice.“He lost to Valerie Foushee, earning 7 percent of the vote.
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Clay Aiken
Phillip Faraone/FilmMagic
He was the runner-up on the second season ofAmerican Idol, and Aiken’s 2014 Congressional hopes ended with a similar outcome. Running as a Democrat in a conservative-leaning North Carolina district, he lost against the incumbent, Rep. Renee Ellmers. If Aiken had won, it would have been a substantial feat, as he would have been the first openly gay congressperson from the South.
In 2022,he decided to give it another go, announcing his campaign for North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District on Jan. 10.
“These days my life looks a lot more like yours thanJustin Bieber’s, that I can promise you,” he said. “But one thing that has never changed for me is how much I love my home state.”
“We have gotta get better at speaking up and using our voices ‘cause those folks ain’t quieting down anytime soon,” he continued of “divisive” politicians. “That’s why I’m running for Congress, here in this community that raised me and where I first discovered my voice.”
He lost to Valerie Foushee, earning 7 percent of the vote.
04of 27Matthew McConaugheyMatthew McConaughey.All right, all right, all right! The Oscar winner and proud Texan teased that he wasmulling a runfor governor of the Lone Star State, as a Democrat.“I’m looking into now again, ‘What is my leadership role?’ " the star said onThe Balanced Voicepodcast in March of 2021,perThe Hill.“Because I do think I have some things to teach and share. What is my role, what is my category in my next chapter of life that I’m going into now?“At the state level, the chair of the Texas Democratic Party saidthey’d welcomeit if McConaughey threw his (cowboy) hat in the ring.“He’s young, good-looking, smart and has a little wildness — but this is Texas,” Gilberto Hinojosa toldPolitico.“We like that stuff.“On Nov. 28, 2022,he took his name out of consideration.“At this point in my life with the things — I’ve got a 13-year-old, an 11-year-old, an 8-year-old. The life I’m living right now, the storytelling I want to keep doing, it’s not the category for me at this point in my life,“he told Jimmy Fallona few weeks later.
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Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey.
All right, all right, all right! The Oscar winner and proud Texan teased that he wasmulling a runfor governor of the Lone Star State, as a Democrat.
“I’m looking into now again, ‘What is my leadership role?’ " the star said onThe Balanced Voicepodcast in March of 2021,perThe Hill.“Because I do think I have some things to teach and share. What is my role, what is my category in my next chapter of life that I’m going into now?”
At the state level, the chair of the Texas Democratic Party saidthey’d welcomeit if McConaughey threw his (cowboy) hat in the ring.
“He’s young, good-looking, smart and has a little wildness — but this is Texas,” Gilberto Hinojosa toldPolitico.“We like that stuff.”
On Nov. 28, 2022,he took his name out of consideration.
“At this point in my life with the things — I’ve got a 13-year-old, an 11-year-old, an 8-year-old. The life I’m living right now, the storytelling I want to keep doing, it’s not the category for me at this point in my life,“he told Jimmy Fallona few weeks later.
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Jim Bob Duggar
Jim Bob Duggar.Jim Bob Duggar for Arkansas/Facebook
Poll resultsshow that Duggar won roughly 15 percent of the vote.
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Dr. Mehmet Oz
Dr. Oz.Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images
Writing that the coronavirus pandemic had ultimately led him to enter the Pennsylvania Senate race, Oz said many of the more-than 750,000 American COVID-19 deaths were “preventable.”
“Dissenting opinions from leading scholars were ridiculed and canceled so their ideas could not be disseminated,” Oz wrote. “Instead, the government mandated policies that caused unnecessary suffering. The public was patronized and misled instead of empowered. We were told to lock down quietly and let those in charge take care of the rest.”
After a contentious race and a close election,he eventually lost to Democrat John Fetterman.
07of 27Caitlyn JennerCaitlyn Jenner/instagramThe reality star and Olympian launched a bid to replace California Gov. Gavin Newsom on the Republican ticket in late April 2021, after the GOP gathered enough signatures for a recall vote.Billing herself as a “compassionate disruptor,” Jenner cited her love for California and commitment to protecting the best interests of its people upon filingthe initial paperwork.“I’m running because I know the only thing Gavin Newsom will disrupt is our economy and the livelihoods of innocent Californians,” Jenner said in a statement. “There is no other candidate in this race with the experience, leadership, and ability to take on the status quo in order to bring us out of the long, dark shadow of Gavin Newsom’s California.“Jenner earned just 1 percent of the vote in California’s specialSeptember 2021 election.
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Caitlyn Jenner
Caitlyn Jenner/instagram
The reality star and Olympian launched a bid to replace California Gov. Gavin Newsom on the Republican ticket in late April 2021, after the GOP gathered enough signatures for a recall vote.
Billing herself as a “compassionate disruptor,” Jenner cited her love for California and commitment to protecting the best interests of its people upon filingthe initial paperwork.
“I’m running because I know the only thing Gavin Newsom will disrupt is our economy and the livelihoods of innocent Californians,” Jenner said in a statement. “There is no other candidate in this race with the experience, leadership, and ability to take on the status quo in order to bring us out of the long, dark shadow of Gavin Newsom’s California.”
Jenner earned just 1 percent of the vote in California’s specialSeptember 2021 election.
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Steve Lodge
Vicki Gunvalson and Steve Lodge.Astrid Stawiarz/Bravo
“Its time for the people of California to regain control of their government, not only at the state level, but in the counties, cities, and school boards,” he continued.
He concluded with, “Help me ‘Make California, California Again.’ "
Lodge earned less than 1 percent of the vote in the special September 2021 election.
09of 27Dan RodimerDan Rodimer.Ethan Miller/GettyThe former professional wrestlerentered the political arenain March 2021, marking his third bid for public office — but it didn’t go as he hoped.Rodimer ran for a vacant seat in Texas’ 6th Congressional District, joining a pool of 23 candidates vying for Texas’ open seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The seat was made vacant following the death ofRep. Ron Wright, who passed away while hospitalized with COVID-19.In the May 1 special election, the WWE alum came in 11th with 3 percent of the vote, theHouston Chroniclereported.Rodimerpreviously ranfor Congress in Nevada, losing the race in November 2020. In 2018, he fell short in state Senate election there.
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Dan Rodimer
Dan Rodimer.Ethan Miller/Getty
The former professional wrestlerentered the political arenain March 2021, marking his third bid for public office — but it didn’t go as he hoped.
Rodimer ran for a vacant seat in Texas' 6th Congressional District, joining a pool of 23 candidates vying for Texas' open seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The seat was made vacant following the death ofRep. Ron Wright, who passed away while hospitalized with COVID-19.
In the May 1 special election, the WWE alum came in 11th with 3 percent of the vote, theHouston Chroniclereported.
Rodimerpreviously ranfor Congress in Nevada, losing the race in November 2020. In 2018, he fell short in state Senate election there.
10of 27Dwayne ‘The Rock’ JohnsonArecent pollfound that 46 percent of Americans would support apresidential run from “The Rock”— and the actor shared his reaction to the news on Instagram in April 2021.“Humbling 🙏🏾🤯” he captioned the post. “I don’t think our Founding Fathers EVER envisioned a six-four, bald, tattooed, half-Black, half-Samoan, tequila drinking, pick up truck driving, fanny pack wearing guy joining their club - but if it ever happens it’d be my honor to serve you, the people 🙏🏾💪🏾🇺🇸"Johnson hasdiscussed the prospect of running for presidenton numerous occasions, including last February toUSA Today.“I would consider a presidential run in the future if that’s what the people wanted. Truly I mean that, and I’m not flippant in any way with my answer,” he said. “That would be up to the people. … So I would wait, and I would listen. I would have my finger on the pulse, my ear to the ground.“The wrestler-turned-blockbuster actor also talked about running for office back in 2017, telling PEOPLE he’d consider a run for the top job in the future.The “Run the Rock 2020” campaign committee was actually filed with the Federal Election Commission, making Johnson an eligible candidate in the 2020 race. Obviously, he never followed through — even though he was at one pointpolling higher than President Donald Trump. (We bet those numbers would go up even more if he made Tom Hanks his running mate.)
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Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
Arecent pollfound that 46 percent of Americans would support apresidential run from “The Rock”— and the actor shared his reaction to the news on Instagram in April 2021.
“Humbling 🙏🏾🤯” he captioned the post. “I don’t think our Founding Fathers EVER envisioned a six-four, bald, tattooed, half-Black, half-Samoan, tequila drinking, pick up truck driving, fanny pack wearing guy joining their club - but if it ever happens it’d be my honor to serve you, the people 🙏🏾💪🏾🇺🇸”
Johnson hasdiscussed the prospect of running for presidenton numerous occasions, including last February toUSA Today.
“I would consider a presidential run in the future if that’s what the people wanted. Truly I mean that, and I’m not flippant in any way with my answer,” he said. “That would be up to the people. … So I would wait, and I would listen. I would have my finger on the pulse, my ear to the ground.”
The wrestler-turned-blockbuster actor also talked about running for office back in 2017, telling PEOPLE he’d consider a run for the top job in the future.
The “Run the Rock 2020” campaign committee was actually filed with the Federal Election Commission, making Johnson an eligible candidate in the 2020 race. Obviously, he never followed through — even though he was at one pointpolling higher than President Donald Trump. (We bet those numbers would go up even more if he made Tom Hanks his running mate.)
11of 27Barbara KavovitBarbara Kavovit.Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via GettyKavovit, who appeared onThe Real Housewives of New York Cityin 2019, announced on social media on Jan. 27, 2021, that she was running to become the city’s mayor — joining a field that was already shaping up to be full of far more connected and well-known names.But that didn’t stop Kavovit, CEO of Evergreen Construction, an N.Y.C.-based company she founded when she was 21.The businesswoman-turned-reality star was born in The Bronx and her company is named for the street where her late father grew up. Kavovit wrote on Instagram that she decided to run for mayor because she believes the city “is in a state of crisis.““I may not be a politician, but I’m a Bronx-born New Yorker who isn’t fearful of the hard work and tough decisions that lay ahead,” she wrote.She ultimately dropped out of the race,but toldPage Sixshe plans to run again in the next election.
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Barbara Kavovit
Barbara Kavovit.Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Kavovit, who appeared onThe Real Housewives of New York Cityin 2019, announced on social media on Jan. 27, 2021, that she was running to become the city’s mayor — joining a field that was already shaping up to be full of far more connected and well-known names.
But that didn’t stop Kavovit, CEO of Evergreen Construction, an N.Y.C.-based company she founded when she was 21.
The businesswoman-turned-reality star was born in The Bronx and her company is named for the street where her late father grew up. Kavovit wrote on Instagram that she decided to run for mayor because she believes the city “is in a state of crisis.”
“I may not be a politician, but I’m a Bronx-born New Yorker who isn’t fearful of the hard work and tough decisions that lay ahead,” she wrote.
She ultimately dropped out of the race,but toldPage Sixshe plans to run again in the next election.
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Cynthia Nixon
Roy Rochlin/Getty
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Glenn Jacobs
Dave Allocca/StarPix/REX/Shutterstock
14of 27Kid RockRob Kim/GettyWhen a “Kid Rockfor Senate” website popped up on the Internet in July 2017, people had one question: Was this for real? Nope. Though he initially swore it was not a hoax, he later revealed it wasa publicity stunt for an upcoming album.
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Kid Rock
Rob Kim/Getty
When a “Kid Rockfor Senate” website popped up on the Internet in July 2017, people had one question: Was this for real? Nope. Though he initially swore it was not a hoax, he later revealed it wasa publicity stunt for an upcoming album.
15of 27Ben HigginsMike Pont/WireImageThe Bacheloralumnustoyed with the idea of running for a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives in 2016, just after his season of the show aired. All signs pointed to go, with Higgins filing the paperwork to run, but he ultimately decided drop out of the race.“Due to unforeseen circumstances, I will not be able to move forward as a candidate,” he said in a statement. “I find solace in knowing that our intentions and actions have been fair and sincere. I entered into this endeavor wanting to bring positive change to my community, and it is with that same spirit that I will move forward, albeit on a different path.”
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Ben Higgins
Mike Pont/WireImage
The Bacheloralumnustoyed with the idea of running for a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives in 2016, just after his season of the show aired. All signs pointed to go, with Higgins filing the paperwork to run, but he ultimately decided drop out of the race.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, I will not be able to move forward as a candidate,” he said in a statement. “I find solace in knowing that our intentions and actions have been fair and sincere. I entered into this endeavor wanting to bring positive change to my community, and it is with that same spirit that I will move forward, albeit on a different path.”
16of 27Shaquille O’NealIn 2017,the former NBA playerannounced that he planned to run for Sheriff in 2020, although later he bumped his plans to 2024. (He didn’t specify which state he’d be running in.)“This is not about politics,” he told WXIA in Atlanta. “This is about bringing people closer together. You know, when I was coming up, people loved and respected the police, the deputies. And, I want to be the one to bring that back, especially in the community I serve.“According to theAtlanta Journal-Constitution,Shaq has served as a reserve officer in the Doral Police Department in Florida, as well as in Miami Beach, Tempe, Arizona, and the Port of Los Angeles. In December 2016, he became a sworn deputy in Clayton County, and in 2021, became director of community relations for the Henry County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia.
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Shaquille O’Neal
In 2017,the former NBA playerannounced that he planned to run for Sheriff in 2020, although later he bumped his plans to 2024. (He didn’t specify which state he’d be running in.)
“This is not about politics,” he told WXIA in Atlanta. “This is about bringing people closer together. You know, when I was coming up, people loved and respected the police, the deputies. And, I want to be the one to bring that back, especially in the community I serve.”
According to theAtlanta Journal-Constitution,Shaq has served as a reserve officer in the Doral Police Department in Florida, as well as in Miami Beach, Tempe, Arizona, and the Port of Los Angeles. In December 2016, he became a sworn deputy in Clayton County, and in 2021, became director of community relations for the Henry County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia.
17of 27Antonio Sabato Jr.Slaven Vlasic/GettyIn 2018, the Italian soap star challenged incumbent Democrat Julia Brownley to represent California’s 26th district in Congress. Sabato Jr., a Republican, spoke fondly of then-President Donald Trump in the past, saying, “It is refreshing to have a candidate like Trump who is so honest about his feelings because he speaks for many of us when he says we are in a bad place.“That thinking didn’t do him any favorsin ultra-blue Los Angeles, and he lost his race.
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Antonio Sabato Jr.
Slaven Vlasic/Getty
In 2018, the Italian soap star challenged incumbent Democrat Julia Brownley to represent California’s 26th district in Congress. Sabato Jr., a Republican, spoke fondly of then-President Donald Trump in the past, saying, “It is refreshing to have a candidate like Trump who is so honest about his feelings because he speaks for many of us when he says we are in a bad place.“That thinking didn’t do him any favorsin ultra-blue Los Angeles, and he lost his race.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger
Isa Foltin/Getty
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Clint Eastwood
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty
20of 27Al FrankenAlex Brandon/APFormerSaturday Night Livewriter and performerFrankenserved as a U.S. Senator from Minnesota beginning in 2009. His first election was a close one, which ended in multiple recounts and an election contest that went all the way to the Minnesota Supreme Court. In 2014, he was reelected with 53.9 percent of the vote. However,multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct in 2017, and in early 2018, he left office.
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Al Franken
Alex Brandon/AP
FormerSaturday Night Livewriter and performerFrankenserved as a U.S. Senator from Minnesota beginning in 2009. His first election was a close one, which ended in multiple recounts and an election contest that went all the way to the Minnesota Supreme Court. In 2014, he was reelected with 53.9 percent of the vote. However,multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct in 2017, and in early 2018, he left office.
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Howard Stern
In 1994, when New York Governor Mario Cuomo was up for reelection, running against eventual Governor George Pataki,Sterndecided to enter the race as a Libertarian. He ran on the promise of reinstating the death penalty, upping highway tolls to reduce traffic and forcing construction workers to work at all hours of the night. He said that after these goals were achieved, he’d get out of office. His dreams never came to fruition: Stern ended up dropping out of the race after he refused to release a personal finance disclosure.
22of 27Donald TrumpDonald Trump.Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP/ShutterstockA New York City figure and host ofThe Apprentice, Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States in 2016 after rising to the top of a crowded field of Republican candidates to run against Democratic nomineeHillary Clinton. His single term waswildly controversial, though, and ended with him becoming the only president in historyto be impeached twice.He lost the 2020 election to DemocratJoe Biden, though never officially conceded the race.
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Donald Trump
Donald Trump.Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP/Shutterstock
A New York City figure and host ofThe Apprentice, Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States in 2016 after rising to the top of a crowded field of Republican candidates to run against Democratic nomineeHillary Clinton. His single term waswildly controversial, though, and ended with him becoming the only president in historyto be impeached twice.He lost the 2020 election to DemocratJoe Biden, though never officially conceded the race.
23of 27Jesse VenturaAlex Wong/NewsmakersHe rose to fame as a professional wrestler — with the nickname “The Body” — butVenturamay be best known now for making the move from the wrestling ring to the political arena. He first served as the mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, and went on to become the governor of Minnesota in 1999, the first to hold the office as a member of the Reform Party.
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Jesse Ventura
Alex Wong/Newsmakers
He rose to fame as a professional wrestler — with the nickname “The Body” — butVenturamay be best known now for making the move from the wrestling ring to the political arena. He first served as the mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, and went on to become the governor of Minnesota in 1999, the first to hold the office as a member of the Reform Party.
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Wyclef Jean
John Lamparski/WireImage
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Jerry Springer
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
26of 27Shirley TempleVince Bucci/Getty ImagesShe may be the original child star, but the lateTempleabandoned her early career for a life of public service. She retired from show business in 1950, at just 22 years old, and after becoming an active member of the California Republican party, she ran for Congress in the Republican primary for the state’s 11th district, ultimately losing and not making it to the general election. That was hardly the end of her political life, however: Though she never ran for office again, she went onto serve as the United States Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia.
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Shirley Temple
Vince Bucci/Getty Images
She may be the original child star, but the lateTempleabandoned her early career for a life of public service. She retired from show business in 1950, at just 22 years old, and after becoming an active member of the California Republican party, she ran for Congress in the Republican primary for the state’s 11th district, ultimately losing and not making it to the general election. That was hardly the end of her political life, however: Though she never ran for office again, she went onto serve as the United States Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia.
27of 27Ronald ReaganPopperfoto/GettyBefore there was Donald Trump, there wasRonald Reagan. An actor and one-time president of the Screen Actors Guild, Reagan left his acting career behind to run for governor of California, winning the job in 1967, which he held until 1975. He then, of course, went on to become the 40th president of the United States.
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Ronald Reagan
Popperfoto/Getty
Before there was Donald Trump, there wasRonald Reagan. An actor and one-time president of the Screen Actors Guild, Reagan left his acting career behind to run for governor of California, winning the job in 1967, which he held until 1975. He then, of course, went on to become the 40th president of the United States.
source: people.com
