In The Know

Alyssa Milano says she could ‘potentially run’ for House in 2024

Greg Nash

Actor-turned-activist Alyssa Milano may seek to transition from Hollywood to the House, saying she’s “considering” a congressional run in 2024.

“I’m looking at California’s 4th District to potentially run against [Rep. Tom] McClintock (R),” Milano told ITK on Tuesday.

“I split my time between Truckee, Calif., and Bell Canyon, Calif., and the Republicans have basically had a strong arm there in the 4th District,” the former “Insatiable” star said.

McClintock won reelection last year with 56 percent of the vote. Then-President Trump beat President Biden in the district by nine points.

“I would love to maybe consider flipping that seat blue,” Milano said.

“It’s going to take someone with, I think, name recognition and deep pockets to be able to run against McClintock, and so I’m considering it. I’m basically gathering information right now, speaking to different consultants, speaking to the community.”

The actor — who just finished shooting a Netflix movie and is juggling a “Who’s the Boss” reboot along with several other projects — says she expects to make a decision after the 2022 midterm elections.

“Before I run, obviously I can’t do both at the same time,” she says of her acting work, “So it’s just really going to be about timing.”

Milano has long expressed a desire to run for political office. In 2018 she said entering politics would be part of her “10-year plan” when her young children were older. A political bid is “something that I think about” she said in 2019.

Last month, she weighed the idea of a run against McClintock, who’s held his House seat since 2009, with her more than 3.6 million Twitter followers.

 

Milano, host of the podcast “Sorry not Sorry,” is already a familiar face on Capitol Hill. She joined a rally in D.C. to protest the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 and a year later testified at a shadow hearing at the Rayburn House Office building in support of the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.

On Tuesday, she joined a star-studded virtual delegation from the arts advocacy nonprofit The Creative Coalition — including “Seinfeld’s” Jason Alexander, “Madam Secretary” star Tim Daly, CEO Robin Bronk and “Star Trek: Discovery’s” Anthony Rapp, among others — to urge lawmakers via Zoom meetings to continue federal funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.

“My career in the arts changed life for my family, breaking us out of cyclical hardship,” said the New York-born performer. The arts, Milano, 48, said, “has a way of allowing people to break free from cycles of violence and poverty.”

“When we talk about shifting our culture into a more secure, more equitable place, there’s really nothing that can do that like the arts,” she said.

The #MeToo activist, who supported Biden during last year’s White House race, said he’s done a “really good job” so far in office.

“I think that there’s a lot left to do, obviously, in particular gun violence prevention,” she said.

Milano said Biden should be “leaning into Congress” in Democrat-led efforts to expand the number of justices on the Supreme Court and to get a sweeping election reform bill, dubbed the For the People Act, passed. “I don’t think they’re going to get done without” Biden’s push, she said.

The entertainer, who revealed last year that she was hospitalized for complications due to COVID-19 and still suffered from long-haul symptoms, also urged equitable vaccine distribution and donations. “We have got to get serious about vaccinating the world, and the most vulnerable in the world,” she said.

Asked about other celebrities trading Hollywood for politics — Caitlyn Jenner is running for governor of California and “Dallas Buyers Club” actor Matthew McConaughey has said he’s exploring a possible run next year against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) — Milano told ITK, “I would hope that they would put in the work before they attempt to hold office.”

“I’ve been an activist since I was 15 years old,” said the former child star. “The first pictures of me in the White House are with Nancy Reagan. I’ve been at this a really long time.”

“I’m very hands-on, boots on the ground, as far as the work that I do. And I would hope that anyone who’s considering running for office would be doing so from a place of service, which is where my heart is, rather than a place of power or to change up the system,” she said. “My intentions are to make the world a better place.”

Tags #MeToo Alyssa Milano Brett Kavanaugh Coronavirus COVID-19 Donald Trump Joe Biden Me Too movement Tom McClintock

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