Key Points
Actor Patrick Dempsey has responded to a chorus of calls urging him to join Maine’s U.S. Senate race.
The Grey’s Anatomy star would replace Democratic nominee Graham Platner to face off against sitting Republican Senator Susan Collins.
After a sexual assault allegation, Platner continuing in the race appears unlikely.
Patrick Dempsey is staying out of politics — for now.
The Grey’s Anatomy alum, racecar driver, and native Mainer will not replace progressive challenger Graham Platner in the hotly contested U.S. Senate race currently playing out in the New England state.
Calls are mounting for the Democratic nominee currently set to contend with sitting Republican Senator Susan Collins for the seat after he was accused of sexual assault on Monday. But in a new op-ed for Portland Press Herald, Dempsey outlined in detail why he turning down an apparent chorus of calls to take the reins.
Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives for Dempsey and Platner for comment.
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“Over the past several days, I’ve been asked a question more than once: Would you ever run for the United States Senate?” Dempsey began. “It’s flattering, and I don’t take it lightly. I love my home state of Maine. I care deeply about the people who live there and, like so many Americans, I’m concerned about the direction our country is heading.”
However, after a lot of thought — outlined in a manner strikingly similar to a political stump speech — Dempsey wrote that he “realized the answer is no. Not because public service isn’t honorable — it absolutely is. But because I believe I can contribute more effectively through the life I’ve already built.”
Dempsey cited his work with The Dempsey Center, which offers cancer care and support, as a more fulfilling vision of “what’s possible when people put aside differences and focus on helping one another.”
This is a developing story.
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