Cynthia Nixon isn't the first actress to run for public office...here are the others
It isn't every day you see a few celebs going over to the dark side. Many have successfully made the transition from actor to a public servant. But more often than not, we hear about a lot of male stars that have made the jump. But how many female stars have made that successful leap of faith? Let's take a look at some women who have switched careers from stardom to politics.
1. Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia Nixon recently announced that she was running for the position of governor of New York. She will be challenging Andrew Cuomo in the upcoming primary in September. She has always had a strong political opinion and often speaks against a now-failing government by writing about the Trump presidency.
2. Helen Gahagan Douglas
Helen was a famous Broadway star who decided to end her time in the spotlight to bring about a change around her. This firecracker of a woman served as a Congresswoman for California's 14th District. She was the first woman to be elected to that position in 1944. Her political career was a short-lived one when she ran against Richard Nixon for the state senate in 1950. She famously gave Richard Nixon the name 'Tricky Dicky' because he won by badmouthing her and saying that she had communist connections.
3. Nancy Kulp
Nancy appeared in films such as 'The Three Faces of Eve' and 1961's 'The Parent Trap'. She was also a prolific television personality who appeared in more than 600 television shows, and was famously known for her role of Ms Jane in 'The Beverly Hillbillies'. In 1984, Nancy ran for Pennsylvania's 9th Congressional District elections. However, she lost the elections to her opponent and later became a professor.
4. Shirley Temple-Black
Legendary child actress Shirley Temple also tried her hand in politics. The good lady put in her candidature for the 1967 special elections in California's 11th District following the death of the incumbent, J. Arthur Younger. She lost the election but continued to serve her country after Richard Nixon appointed her to be the US delegate to the United Nations in 1969.
5. Sheila Kuehl
Another child star turned politician is Sheila Kuehl. Her claim to fame was playing Zelda in 'The Many Loves of Dobbie Gills'. Sheila became the first openly-gay candidate to serve the California legislature in 1994. she authored almost 171 bills that were signed into law and has been a continuous advocate for health care, abortion rights and environmental protection.
6. Stacey Dash
Stacey starred in the iconic movie 'Clueless'. But now, the actress is more known for her conservative viewpoints. Stacey announced in February that she was running for California's 44th Congressional district this year, but withdrew her name recently.
7. Melissa Gilbert
In 2016, 'Little House on the Prairie' star Melissa Gilbert announced her candidature for Michigan's 8th Congressional District. She later pulled out of the race due to spine and back injuries.
8. Diane Neal
'Law & Order: SVU' actress Diane Neal suddenly dropped off social media recently. She then made an announcement in Feb that she was running for New York's 19th Congressional District this year. Looks like she's bringing in her skills from the show to the streets.
Have we missd out any notable women? Let us know by dropping us an email!