Ben Affleck Senate: Not Running for Office
Ben Affleck has cleared up the rumors surrounding his political future via Facebook this week.
The actor and director was believed to have been interested in running for Congress in the coming year, but he debunked the rumors on Christmas Day.
"I love Massachusetts and our political process, but I am not running for office," Affleck started on his Facebook page Tuesday.
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"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," the "Argo" director continued.
Affleck has a longstanding reputation for being actively involved in politics and charitable causes, and in 2010, founded the Eastern Congo Initiative.
Last week, the actor paid an important visit to Washington, D.C. in order to push the U.S. Congress to exert its influence and change the U.N. mandate in conflict-ridden Africa.
Rumors of his interest in politics were also sparked during a taped interview for "Face the Nation" on CBS where he touched on his "political future" last week.
When CBS' Bob Schieffer asked Affleck about the possibility of running for a Senate seat in Massachusetts, the actor did not say "no."
"I'm not going to get into speculation about my political future," said the 40-year-old. "I do have a great fondness and admiration for the political process in this country."
Raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Affleck would be a main contender for the position.
Despite his visit to Capitol Hill and the fact that he is not running for office, Affleck posted on social media that there are many candidates in his native state of Massachusetts that he looks forward to seeing.
"We are about to get a great Secretary of State and there are some phenomenal candidates in Massachusetts for his Senate seat," the actor wrote on Facebook. "I look forward to an amazing campaign."
Meanwhile, the 40-year-old's critically acclaimed "Argo" has created a lot of awards buzz and the actor and director will be up for the Best Motion Picture Drama at the Golden Globe Awards in January.
Affleck is married to actress Jennifer Garner with whom he shares three children.
Next year, Affleck will appear in the thriller "Runner, Runner," and is in talks to adapt Stephen King's novel "The Stand" into a film, according to CBS News.
