Patrick Dempsey will not be scrubbing into the Maine Senate race anytime soon.
“Over the past several days, I’ve been asked a question more than once: Would you ever run for the United States Senate?” the Grey’s Anatomy alum, 60, wrote in an op-ed published Wednesday, July 8, in the Portland Press Herald. “It’s flattering, and I don’t take it lightly. I love my home state of Maine. I care deeply about the people who live there and, like so many Americans, I’m concerned about the direction our country is heading.”
He continued, “I gave it real thought not because I was looking for a new career, but because I asked myself an honest question: ‘Could I make a meaningful difference?’ That question led me to another one I think matters even more. ‘What kind of leadership are we really looking for?’”
Dempsey was born and raised in Maine, where residents are set to cast their votes in the November general election for the next senator to succeed Susan Collins.
“We should choose a candidate who offers a new approach to how we govern ourselves,” Dempsey wrote in his essay. “I want someone who leads with empathy. Someone who listens before speaking, who has the courage to work with people they disagree with and who understands that public office isn’t about power. It’s about service. Most of all, I want integrity. That may sound idealistic today, but it shouldn’t.”
While Dempsey has sought to make a difference in championing healthcare and education causes, he was plagued on whether to leverage those efforts into a political career.
“I kept coming back to one question: ‘Do I truly want to serve in Congress?’ After a lot of thought, I realized the answer is no,” he stated. “Not because public service isn’t honorable — it absolutely is. But because I believe I can contribute more effectively through the life I’ve already built.”
Still, Dempsey hasn’t “lost faith” in the United States.
“I’ve seen communities rally around families they’ve never met. I’ve seen strangers become caregivers. I’ve seen generosity that asks for nothing in return,” he explained. “That goodness is still here. It’s simply being drowned out by the loudest voices. Whether you’re an elected official, a teacher, a nurse, a business owner, a parent or a volunteer, service begins with one simple question: How can I make someone else’s life a little better? That’s the work I want to keep doing. So no, I’m not running for office.”
Dempsey concluded, “Remember that public office is a privilege not a career path and that leadership isn’t measured by how loudly you speak or how often you’re on television. It’s measured by whether people’s lives are better because you served.”
