<\/p>\n
Actor Patrick Dempsey has responded to a chorus of calls urging him to join Maine’s U.S. Senate race.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
The Grey’s Anatomy<\/em> star would replace Democratic nominee Graham Platner to face off against sitting Republican Senator Susan Collins.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n After a sexual assault allegation, Platner continuing in the race appears unlikely.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Patrick Dempsey<\/a> is staying out of politics \u2014 for now.<\/p>\n The Grey’s Anatomy <\/em>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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> on Monday. But in a new op-ed for <\/a>Portland Press Herald<\/em><\/a>, Dempsey outlined in detail why he turning down an apparent chorus of calls to take the reins.<\/p>\n Entertainment Weekly <\/em>has reached out to representatives for Dempsey and Platner for comment.<\/p>\n Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>EW Dispatch newsletter<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n However, after a lot of thought \u2014 outlined in a manner strikingly similar to a political stump speech \u2014 Dempsey wrote that he “realized the answer is no. Not because public service isn’t honorable \u2014 it absolutely is. But because I believe I can contribute more effectively through the life I’ve already built.”<\/p>\n Dempsey cited his work with The Dempsey Center<\/a>, 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.”<\/p>\n