Actress Melissa Gilbert, famous for her role as Laura on the NBC 1970s and 80s television show Little House on the Prairie, is running for Congress as a Democrat in Michigan’s 8th district.
The Detroit Free Press reported that Gilbert, who moved to Howell, Michigan, just two years ago after wedding actor Timothy Busfield, will embark on her first run for political office in a largely red district currently represented by Republican Rep. Mike Bishop.
While a stranger to Congress, Gilbert has made political contributions in the past, some of which went to Republicans.
According to the Federal Election Commission, Gilbert donated $2,300 to Republican and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s 2008 presidential campaign. In 2000, she contributed $1,000 to the campaign of Jerry Doyle, a Republican running for Congress in California.
"I’m running for Congress to make life a little easier for all the families who feel they have fallen through the cracks in today’s economy," Gilbert said in a statement announcing her candidacy on her on website. "I believe building a new economy is a team effort, and we need to bring fresh voices to the table to get the job done."
Gilbert has faced scrutiny from the Internal Revenue Service in recent months. In June, the IRS filed a tax lien against the actress, accusing her of failing to pay over $360,000 in federal income taxes from 2011, 2012 and 2013.
The actress blamed her inability to pay the taxes on the "perfect storm of financial difficulty" generated by the recession, claiming that she has since set up a payment plan with the IRS.
Gilbert also has a history of tax problems in California. Since 2013, the state has filed tax liens against the actress amounting to $112,527.