Politics

Dr. Drew Says He's Thinking About Running for Congress One Day

He reportedly said he took issue with how Los Angeles and the state are being run

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Published on January 9, 2020 02:53 PM

Another TV star is considering a run for public office.

Dr. Drew Pinsky told The Hill on Wednesday he was considering a potential run against Rep. Adam Schiff for Schiff's 28th district California congressional seat.

According to The Hill, Pinsky, 61, said he wakes up every day and finds himself "morally moved where I feel like I have to do something" and recently realized he lives in Schiff's district in Southern California.

"I thought, 'Oh my God, I have to run for that office at least just to get him to start participating in the governance of this region,' " Pinsky told The Hill. He said he took issue with how Los Angeles and the state are being run.

Schiff, a leading California Democrat who is up for re-election, has been at the center of President Donald Trump's impeachment as the House Intelligence Committee chairman. Trump frequently attacks Schiff, 59, on Twitter — labeling him "corrupt" and calling him schoolyard insults such as "Shifty Schiff."

But impeachment was not Pinsky's primary concern, he told The Hill.

"I was watching all the impeachment proceedings and I was going, 'oh my God, our Congress is tied up and we're dying out here in California. What are these people doing?' " he said.

Rep. Adam Schiff. Chip Somodevilla/Getty

The celebrity addiction doctor told The Hill that he's "very moderate" and could potentially make the jump into politics in the next few years.

While Pinsky said he's considering a run, he also noted he was reluctant to get into politics: "Believe me, I don't want to. I'd have to change my whole life, and I'm not really prepared to do that just yet."

The Hill reported that Pinsky could make up his mind "in a few years."

He has three kids and has hosted several reality shows throughout the 2000s, including Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew and most recently Dr. Drew on Call. He's also made several cameos throughout his career on shows such as Family Guy and Dawson's Creek. He was a contestant on The Masked Singer's second season.

He told The Hill part of his reluctancy to run for Schiff's seat was that he'd be another celebrity running for political office.

"I would say my eyes are rolling, too," he said. "I'd rather not be here. Point me in another direction where we can help the citizens of California, please. I'm all ears. But the fact that I keep thinking about it tells me how profound the problems are that I feel obliged to maybe turn my life upside down just to get things governed out here. I am constantly morally mobilized because of the condition of what's going on here in California."

Schiff's office did not respond to a request for comment.

The congressman has at least one primary challenger: Maebe A. Girl, a drag queen and LGBTQ advocate.