Donald Trump had never run for public office before running for, and winning, the Presidency last year. Because of that there is the thought we could see more celebrities turn to politics.
Actors like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson have recently talked about getting into politics. And of course, Trump was not the first candidate that was a celebrity to run for office. University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus explains that celebrities have visibility, which many politicians lack.
“It’s developing a theme, and having a sense of personality. It allows them to overcome the issue of not being known by people. Celebrities tend to be visible,” Rottinghaus explained.
So is the 'celebrity' candidate something we see more of as we head towards the midterms next year and the Presidential campaign in 2020?
“I don’t think it will become the norm, but celebrities will continue to consider running for office because they think they can do better in Washington than the people that are running Washington,” Rottinghaus said.
As for Johnson, many may not know this, but he’s actually a registered Republican.
And as for which celebrities besides Johnson may consider a run, Dallas Mavericks owner and ‘Shark Tank’ star Mark Cuban have talked about getting into politics in the past.