'Little House' star Melissa Gilbert is running for Congress in Michigan

Donald Trump may be making headlines as a TV personality trying to take over the political world, but he's not the only one. Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert announced on August 10 that she is running for Congress as a Democrat to unseat Mike Bishop, in Michigan's 8th district. "Excited to announce my run for U.S. Congress in Michigan's 8th," she tweeted. "Please join me in my fight for working families. http://gilbertformichigan.com."

Melissa Gilbert announced she was running for Congress on August 10 Photo: Getty Images


On her campaign website the 51-year-old writes: “Here in Michigan, I know people are doing their best to make a good life for themselves and their families. When it comes down to it, I think that’s what we all really want. I’m running for Congress to make life a little easier for all the families who feel they have fallen through the cracks in today’s economy. I believe building a new economy is a team effort, and we need to bring fresh voices to the table to get the job done.”

Though from California, Melissa has called Michigan home since 2013 when she moved there with her husband, fellow actor Timothy Busfield, a Michigan native.


The former Dancing With the Stars contestant got a taste of a different kind of politics in 2001 when she was elected president of the Screen Actors Guild. She served two terms. Gilbert is just one of a long line of celebrities who has attempted to break into politics after a career in Hollywood. Most famously is, of course, president Ronald Reagan, who made more than 50 movies with stars like Humphrey Bogart and Bette Davis before being elected governor of California in 1967 and president from 1981 to 1989.

Arnold Schwarzenegger went from being a body builder and well-known Terminator actor to governor of California from 2003 to 2011 despite never having no experience in politics. The Austrian-born star has expressed his desire to run for president, but his foreign birth prevents him from doing so.

Other stars that ran for office include Clint Eastwood, who was elected mayor of the town of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California in 1986 and American Idol star Clay Aiken who ran for Congress representing North Carolina (he narrowly lost to the Republican incumbent). Former 'SNL' star Al Franken is the junior U.S. Senator from Minnesota. Roseanne Barr chronicles her run for president in 2012 in a new film Roseanne for President.

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