Melissa Gilbert, known for her role as Laura Ingalls Wilder on the 1970s-1980s television series Little House on the Prairie, has announced she is running for Congress.
Gilbert made the announcement on Twitter on Monday:
Excited to announce my run for U.S. Congress in Michigan’s 8th. Please join me in my fight for working families. http://t.co/WTUEZukVeX
— Melissa Gilbert (@GilbertforMI) August 10, 2015
The actress will be running as a democrat in Michigan’s 8th district in next year’s election.
“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,” she wrote on her campaign website.
Gilbert moved to Howell, Michigan about two years ago after marrying actor Timothy Busfield, who is a Michigan native. She has never previously run for public office. However, she has served two terms as the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 2001 to 2005.
Her competitor for the Congressional seat will be the incumbent, Republican Mike Bishop.
