Stephen Colbert
Photo Credit: Peabody Awards, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
The host of the show titled The Late Night Show with Stephen Colbert made an odd attempt at running for office.
In 2007, while he was hosting Colbert Report on Comedy Central, the comedian announced he would run for Senate in his home state of South Carolina for both the Republican and Democratic nominations.
This stunt, which led many to believe Colbert was not serious, ended quickly once he learned he would have to cough up $35,000 to get on the Republican primary ballot.
His attempt to get on the Democratic primary ballot –which cost him $2,500– also failed and he was denied ballot access.
Colbert also flirted with a Presidential run after being urged by his fans. The bid lasted just a few weeks before he dropped out.
It’s still unclear if Colbert was serious about running for office or was merely doing so to grab attention for his political oriented satire show.
Things have still worked out quite nicely for his career.
Stacy Dash
Dash made her (brief) splash in Hollywood while co-starring in the 90’s film Clueless with Alicia Silverstone.
Fast forward two decades and Dash is now active in politics. In fact, Dash became a contributor at Fox News and was an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump in 2016. After supporting Obama’s 2008 campaign dash switched parties and endorsed Mitt Romney in 2012.
In 2018, she tossed her hat in the ring for California’s 44th Congressional Election as a Republican, but little after 1 month in the race dash dropped out.
Caitlyn Jenner
Photo Credit: Mike Patey, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Jenner threw her hat in the ring to challenge California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in 2021.
Jenner, who ran as a Republican, failed to gather enough support to win her party’s primary election and lost to talk show host Larry Elder.
Elder eventually lost to Newsom in the general election.
Cynthia Nixon
Photo Credit: Jon Gilbert Leavitt from New York City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
The former star of HBO’s Sex and the City, who also won an Emmy for a guest appearance in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, launched a bid to primary embattled New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
She ran to Cuomo’s left as a progressive and earned the endorsement of Congresswoman Alexandria-Ocasio Cortez.
Nixon eventually lost to Cuomo by a wide margin.
Shirley Temple
Photo Credit: David Hume Kennerly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The iconic child star had a second career in mind after finishing up her show business career in 1963 at the age of 38.
In 1967, Temple launched a bid for a California congressional seat.
Temple lost the election, but her interest in public policy found new life.
She was appointed to serve as the United States’ Ambassador to Ghana by President Gerald Ford and the former Czechoslovakia by President George H.W. Bush.
Temple was also appointed to serve as the first female Chief of Protocol of the United State by President Ford, as well.
Kanye West
Photo Credit: Phil Romans, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
The multi-platinum hip-hop artist was originally in the tank for President Trump before he decided to launch his own bid for the White House in 2020.
West, ran under the banner of a new party called “The Birthday Party”.
It’s still unbenownest to most of America if Kanye was serious about his campaign, if it were a joke, or if he just lost interest once getting into the race.
He held a campaign rally in South Carolina despite not even completing the necessary steps to get on the ballot there.
He did meet the requirements to make the ballot in at least five states, which included Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah and Vermont.
Clay Aiken
Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
This “American Idol” season two runner-up gave politics a shot in 2014.
Aiken tossed his hat in the ring for congress in North Carolina.
When announcing his bid for the democratic nomination said that “[m]ore families are struggling than at any time in our history. And here in North Carolina, we’ve suffered more than our share of pain.”
Aiken went on to narrowly win the Democratic nomination a day after his opponent passed away. He lost the general election to incumbent Republican Renee Ellmers.
Fast forward to 2022 and Aiken is back on his political horse. He once again run for Congress as a Democrat in January. He is focusing on issues including climate change, systemic racism, income inequality, gun violence, voting rights, health care and abortion access.
Howard Stern
Photo Credit: Bill Norton, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
One of the most successful radio talk show hosts in history made a play for political power in the 1990’s.
in ’94, Stern announced he would run to become Governor of New York as a libertarian to reinstate the death penalty. He also had a keen focus on reducing the traffic congestion in New York by moving road work to the evenings and staggering road toll booths.
He declared that he would step down from office once he achieved those three goals which oddly don’t fit the platform of the Libertarian party.
Stern eventually dropped out of the race after he decided he didn’t want to turnover his personal financial documents.
Rosanne Barr
Photo Credit: Leah Mark, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
In 2012, Rosanne Barr tried to make her splash in politics.
While making an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2012, Barr announced she would be running for president.
She said she would run on the “Green Tea Party” ticket which obviously did not exist until she made the declaration.
Her candidacy was focused on “economics, personal health and mediation.”
She ran in the Green Party primary but lost the nomination to Jill Stein.
That wasn’t the end for Barr in 2012. She eventually secured the presidential nomination from the Peace an Freedom party with an activist named Cindy Sheehan as her running mate.
Barr also stated she would run for Prime Minister of Israel once during an interview. She never launched a bid for this office.