Photos: L-R: Alec Baldwin, Rosie O'Donnell, John Slattery. Bottom Row L-R: Keifer Sutherland, Katey Sagal, Seth Green
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It pays to have show biz connects in Hollywood and New York when you're running for public office.
Todd Spangler of the Detroit Free Press reports that Melissa Gilbert of “Little House on the Prairie” fame, who is running for congress in Michigan, has raised more than $200,000 in campaign funds and has tapped into some well-known names in show biz. She announced her candidacy in August and is running as a Democrat against U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, who raised a little more than her during the July-September reporting period.
The Freep reports some of her donors include:
Alec Baldwin ($1,000) and Jennifer Garner, Rosie O’Donnell and Kiefer Sutherland donated $5,400 apiece. Dreamworks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg contributed $2,700 and John Slattery of “Mad Men” gave $2,700.
Others who have contributed include: Seth Green, Juliette Lewis and Melissa Rivers to Florence Henderson of "The Brady Bunch" and Katey Sagal of "Married ... With Children. Gilbert’s sister, actress Sara Gilbert.
Spangler writes:
That’s not to say that Gilbert did better than Bishop for the July-September reporting period, however -- the first-term congressman out-raised her, barely -- or to suggest that she didn’t have a sizable number of contributions from Michigan, which appeared to be listed in her finance report. (The FEC has not yet provided for hers or Bishop’s quarterly contributions to be tallied electronically by state.)
But it did suggest that Gilbert, a writer, director and producer who is best known for her portrayal of Laura Ingalls Wilder in NBC's "Little House" in the 1970s and '80s, may be able to tap into some deep pockets in New York and California to help fund her bid to take on Bishop in Michigan's Republican-leaning 8th Congressional District next year.
