America’s favorite fictional mogul could be looking to move his office from 30 Rock to Capitol Hill.
The Huffington Post is quoting sources close to actor Alec Baldwin as saying he intends to challenge Randy Altschuler of New York for Congress in two years if the Republican candidate ends up winning the House seat currently occupied by Rep. Tim Bishop, D-N.Y. The Altschuler-Bishop race is one of a handful still deemed too close to call; the most recent count shows Bishop, a four-term incumbent, trailing by less than 400 votes.
Baldwin is no stranger to politics. He has been both criticized and acclaimed for his outspoken support of the Democratic Party (he donated $2,000 to Bishop's campaign this year), and in an interview with CNN last year, revealed his interest in running for public office.
“The desire is there; that’s one component,” he said. “The other component is opportunity.”
Now the opportunity could materialize, if New York’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Baldwin’s Long Island home, turns Republican.
Baldwin’s contract with 30 Rock, the 10-time-Emmy-award-winning comedy, is set to expire in 2012. In the meantime, he seems to be using the show to not-so-subtly hint at his political future.
In this Thursday's episode, viewers can expect Baldwin's character Jack Donaghy to "try to influence a congressional election in favor of a particular candidate."
In one recent episode, Donaghy/Baldwin said: "Do you know who gets elected to Congress these days? Former athletes, washed-up actors, and, uh... women. I'm locked and loaded and ready for whatever these Beltway lobotomites throw at me."
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