Ashley Judd plays down talk of U.S. senate run
Nov. 9, 2012, 5:53 PM EST
Actress Ashley Judd has played down speculation she is preparing to enter
U.S. politics, insisting she feels "honoured" to even be considered to run for
office for the Democratic Party. The Double Jeopardy star was one of many
celebrity attendees at the Democratic National Convention in North Carolina in
September (12), when she spoke as a Tennessee delegate, and she has previously
admitted she was seriously considering swapping Hollywood for Washington, D.C.
after receiving such overwhelming support from leading members of the party. She
said, "Everybody's thinking about it (political office) for me... and I'm at the
point where so many people have asked that I feel it is honourable to at least
talk about it. "I do a lot in the U.S. with the Democrat Party at the county and
national level and that may be the best use of me... but I'm just gonna listen
to what people have to say and (decide) should I keep operating in the space I'm
in or should I take the show to Washington? I don't know." After Tuesday's
(06Nov12) elections, which saw party leader President Barack Obama winning
another term in the White House, Judd's name was put forward as a possible new
candidate for Senate by Representative John Yarmuth of Kentucky, insisting the
actress could be a serious contender against Republican Senator Mitch McConnell
in 2014 and end his run as the longest-serving Senator in the state. And while
44-year-old Judd, who lived in Kentucky before moving to Tennessee, is flattered
by Yarmuth's high praise, she has stopped short of declaring her level of
interest in the job. A statement issued to UsMagazine.com reads, "I cherish
Kentucky, heart and soul, and while I'm very honoured by the consideration, we
have just finished an election, so let's focus on coming together to keep moving
America's families, and especially our kids, forward."
