‘Little House On The Prairie’ Star May Have A New House In The U.S. Congress?
Former childhood television star Melissa Gilbert is all grown up now and has announced she is running for a seat in the U.S. Congress.
Melissa Gilbert became a household name playing the role of Laura Ingalls Wilder on the NBC Television series “Little House On The Prairie.” On Monday, Gilbert announced she was running for Congress in the state of Michigan’s 8th District. However, her fame may not be enough to win. Gilbert, who lives in Livingston County and is running as a Democrat, has been a Republican bastion over the last several election cycles. The seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop (R-Howell).
To counter the celebrity that Melissa Gilbert could bring to the table in terms of fund-raising, the Republican Party added Bishop to their Republican Patriot Program.
This program is one to help possibly weak Republican incumbents to hold onto their seats. According to the Detroit Free Press, no reason was given for this action.
In a statement released on her website, Gilbert made it clear why she was running for Congress.
“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.”
Gilbert added:
“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.”
Gilbert, 51, has served two terms as the president of the Screen Actors Guild. She has never run for public office, but her campaign will have an issue to address right away. The IRS has filed a lien against the would-be Congresswoman. The IRS claims she owes some $360,000 in back taxes. However, in an encouraging sign, the local voters in the District seem to back Gilbert in her fight against the IRS.
“The truth is I got caught in a perfect storm of financial difficulty, which is why I initiated a conversation with the IRS, told them I was having trouble and together we set up a payment plan.”
You can bet this announcement by Gilbert has caught the eye of the Republican Party brass. In a year where the presidency is up for grabs and historically higher Democratic voter turnout, Gilbert, the beloved character on the family values-based 70’s and 80’s television show ” Little House On The Prairie” very well could steal a much-needed seat in Congress for the Democrats.
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