Ben Savage wouldn’t just add some star power to Congress, the “Boy Meets World” actor says — his House bid aims to get rid of the “negativity” in Washington.
“It’s about doing good and it’s about doing the right thing,” Savage, who announced his run this week as a Democrat in California’s 30th District, said on Thursday on ABC’s “GMA3: What You Need to Know.” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) is vacating the seat to run for Senate.
“Of course issues like housing, homelessness, health care are very important and near and dear to my heart, but it’s really about changing the tone,” Savage, 42, said.
“I think there’s a negativity in Washington, D.C., that we need to address,” the congressional hopeful added. “We need to bring more young people into the political process. We need to increase civility. We need to work on getting things done in Washington, D.C., and we need to be more of a solutions-based government — and prominently and preeminently we need to restore faith in government, which I think is lacking right now.”
Asked by co-anchors Rhiannon Ally and Phil Lipof how he’d plan to represent the diverse congressional district, Savage said his Hollywood background could be an asset.
“It’s about bringing people together. I’ve always been associated with art projects in the entertainment industry that are usually focused around themes of bringing people together, inspiring passion, and encouraging people to do good,” Savage said.
Ally and Lipof teased that Savage “actually ran for office before,” then playing a clip showing his “Boy Meets World” character Cory Matthews delivering an impassioned speech in front of his classmates decrying an “antiquated justice system that relies too much on detention” in an attempt to become class president.
“Is that what we’re going to see and does any part of that message still stand today?” asked Lipof.
“I think I’d be wearing a better shirt. That was a little oversized,” Savage quipped of his loose-fitting plaid getup.
“It was the ’90s,” he added with a grin.
—Updated at 2:33 p.m.