Ben Affleck US Senate, "Not Running," He Says
Ben Affleck has ruled out a bid for a seat in U.S. Senate.
Affleck made an announcement on his Facebook page after his recent appearance on CBS' "Face The Nation" sparked rumors that he run for Senate to replace U.S. Sen. John Kerry.
The "Argo" star wrote that while he loves the "political process," he will not be seeking a seat as a senator.
"I love Massachusetts and our political process, but I am not running for office," Affleck wrote on Facebook.
The Cambridge, Mass., native said he is currently focusing on a charity he founded.
"Right now it's a privilege to spend my time working with Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI), supporting our veterans, drawing attention to the great many who go hungry in the U.S. everyday and using filmmaking to entertain and foster discussion about issues like our relationship to Iran."
Eastern Congo Initiative is a nonprofit organization he founded that brings humanitarian aid to the war-torn country.
Affleck also weighed in on his thoughts about Kerry, who President Obama nominated as a candidate to replace Hillary Clinton for the Secretary of State position. Clinton will end her post in January, 2013.
"We are about to get a great Secretary of State and there are some phenomenal candidates in Massachusetts for his Senate seat. I look forward to an amazing campaign."
The actor included holiday wishes to his fans but not before asking them to visit the websites of other charities he supports.
"Make sure to visit Feeding America & A-T Children's Project & Paralyzed Veterans of America"
When Affleck appeared on "Meet The Press" on Dec. 23, he didn't say no when asked if he had a possible future in politics. The questions arose because he had recently testified to the House Armed Services Committee in Washington D.C. about conflicts in Eastern Congo.
"Massachusetts currently has two extraordinary senators," Affleck reportedly told the CBS host. "There is no vacancy."
When pressed further about the topic, the married father-of-three said that he had a "great fondness and admiration for the political process," but that he would not "get into speculation" about a possible future in politics.
"I'm really happy being involved from the outside in government, advocating for the Congolese," Affleck added.
