Patrick Dempsey Responds to Buzz About a Potential Senate Race
In recent years, several celebrities, ranging from actors to reality TV personalities, have thrown their hats in the political ring across the country. For a brief moment this week, Patrick Dempsey looked like he was about to do the very same. The Grey’s Anatomy star seriously considered a possible run for the U.S. Senate. Here is where he stands on that idea now.
A celebrity’s name was briefly attached to a complicated U.S. Senate race
Patrick Dempsey caused a stir earlier this week, when his name was floated as a potential Senate candidate for his home state of Maine. The buzz around the famed actor and his potential candidacy started when Graham Platner, a nominee, withdrew from the race after an ex-girlfriend accused him of sexual assault. Platner has denied the claim, but his withdrawal has left the Democratic Party in a bit of a pickle. The party now needs a replacement who could unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins.
Dempsey’s name entered the conversation partly through a survey conducted by Tavern Research, a Democratic polling firm, which listed him alongside other possible contenders, including former state Senate President Troy Jackson and Nirav Shah, a former director of Maine’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention. His name didn’t pop up out of the blue, though. Apparently, Dempsey has had conversations. He revealed that he’d been asked directly, “more than once,” whether he’d consider running.
Dempsey considered it and took a pass
While there was a fair bit of buzz about Patrick Dempsey taking his talent to the U.S. Senate, it is not going to happen. Dempsey addressed the speculation in the Portland Press Herald. In an opinion piece, Dempsey wrote that he has reflected on the idea, considered all angles, and has decided he will not be pursuing a career in politics.
Patrick Dempsey revealed that when he really sat down and thought about it, he actually had no real desire to serve in the Senate. At this point, he contends, political aspirations simply do not fit in with what he wants out of his life. Instead, he will continue to focus on acting, and the work the Dempsey Center, a nonprofit he founded in 2008, does for people undergoing cancer treatment. The impact of the nonprofit and how many people it can help will be his main focus moving forward.
Dempsey remains deeply connected to Maine’s politics, as he was raised in Maine and maintains an address in the state. Despite opting out of the race himself, Dempsey does have an idea of what he’d like to see from Maine’s next senator. He noted that he hopes the winner of the race is someone who leads with empathy, listens to others, and is willing to put in the work with the utmost integrity.
