8 Celebrities Who’ve Teased Running for Office (and 2 Who Did) (3 of 6)

Howard Stern — Governor of New York

Back in 1994, when Howard Stern was at his absolute peak of fame as a “shock jock,” he ran for governor on the Libertarian ticket. It would have been perfectly reasonable to assume he was doing it for the publicity (and you’d most certainly be right), but he ran a surprisingly popular campaign, with night-time road construction and reviving the death penalty as his key pledges. But in the end, he dropped out three months before the election because he refused to disclose his personal finances. Under New York ethics laws, candidates were required to file financial disclosure forms, which Stern stated was an invasion of his privacy.

Ashley Judd — U.S. Senate in Kentucky

In 2014, the actress, hailing from a family of country music singers, seriously considered running as a Democrat to challenge Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. However, she ultimately decided to withdraw early, citing the need to prioritize her family. But electability would have been an issue anyway. Conservative super PACs were labeling her an out-of-touch Hollywood liberal while local establishment Democrats feared her progressive views wouldn’t align with the voters in this deeply red state.