(USA TODAY) - Melissa Gilbert, an American actress, is running for Congress in Michigan’s 8th District, challenging Republican freshman Rep. Mike Bishop. She is most known for her role as Laura Ingalls Wilder on NBC’s Little House on the Prairie in the 1970s and 1980s.
Our colleagues at the Detroit Free Press have the story here:
“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 said in a statement released on her website, www.gilbertformichigan.com. “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 not held political office before but was president of the Screen Actors Guild from 2001 to 2005, serving two terms. An actress and director, she is a native of California and moved to Howell in 2013 after marrying Busfield, who is a native of East Lansing.
Gilbert, however, faces an uphill battle running as a Democrat, as the district is considered solid Republican territory.
Gilbert also faces a battle with the IRS. The Detroit Free Press noted:
Last month, the Daily Press & Argus in Livingston County reported that the IRS filed a lien against Gilbert, alleging she owes more than $360,000 in back taxes, a point which Michigan Republicans were quick to point out as she announced her campaign.
Gilbert’s campaign did not immediately return emails for comment on her candidacy or the tax lien, but Bishop’s campaign quickly made note of it, with spokesman Stu Sandler sending out a statement saying Gilbert “can afford to have a stylist for her dog, but cannot pay her taxes. Her values are out of whack with the district.”
