Ben Affleck says he's not running for U.S. Senate
BOSTON Take actor and director Ben Affleck off the list of potential candidates for U.S. Sen. John Kerry's seat if the Massachusetts Democrat is confirmed as Secretary of State as expected.
The "Argo" director said in a posting on his Facebook page Monday that he would not be running for political office.
"I love Massachusetts and our political process, but I am not running for office," Affleck wrote. "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 politically active Affleck, who grew up in Cambridge, did not completely rule out a Senate bid during an appearance on CBS' Face The Nation on Sunday, though he did say he's "really happy being involved from the outside in government."".
Affleck founded the East Congo Initiative, a nonprofit organization that helps direct humanitarian aid to the war-torn region. He recently testified before a House committee about the crisis there.
He said he expected a number of "phenomenal" candidates in Massachusetts for Kerry's seat.