|
Listen to this article here
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Hill Harper, a well-known actor, entrepreneur and inspirational author, has thrown his hat into the ring for a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan on a progressive platform.
Facing a contested field of Democratic primary opponents, Harper, 57, is running as a progressive candidate. Harper is known for his roles on “CSI: NY” and “The Good Doctor,” along with his widely read inspirational books for underserved youth, including “Letters to a Young Brother.”
Born in Iowa, Hill Harper has spent most of his life living in Detroit, where he owns a home and a coffee shop. Harper made the announcement in a campaign video on Monday.
“Fighting for what you believe in is hard enough, but it’s worth doing when you’ve found something that makes your heart beat faster. For me, it’s you,” Harper says to his son in a campaign video posted on Twitter that has garnered tens of thousands of views as of 12 p.m. on Monday.
Hill Harper announces U.S. Senate Run in crowded field
According to the Associated Press, Hill Harper becomes the sixth Democratic candidate to enter the race after Democratic incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow announced her retirement in January.
A Brown University and Harvard Law School graduate, the talented actor also spent time serving on President Barack Obama’s cancer panel in 2012 as a survivor of the disease. On his Twitter bio, Harper describes himself as an “actor, union organizer, business owner, single dad, and Democratic Senate candidate.”
“It’s not about party. It’s about people feeling represented,” Harper told the AP ahead of his public announcement. “And being an independent voice in the U.S. Senate is something I believe Michiganders want right now.”
Hill Harper faces a formidable primary opponent, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who has already reportedly raised $5.8 million in the last four months.
Yet Harper’s campaign also promises to be formidable, as a successful Black entertainer and entrepreneur, Harper seeks to bring back Black representation to Detroit, a city with one of the highest concentrations of Black Americans in the country.
The winner of the Democratic primary is widely expected to become the nominee in the general. A Republican hasn’t won a Senate seat in Michigan since 1994.
“Politics as usual isn’t cutting it for Michigan,” Hill Harper posted on Monday. “I’m running for U.S. Senate because the last thing we need is another career politician in office – we need new voices, new perspectives, and a system overhaul in Washington.”