In The Know

Hill Harper leaving ‘The Good Doctor’ as he runs for Senate

FILE - Hill Harper, a cast member in the television series "The Good Doctor" arrives at the 35th Annual PaleyFest at the Dolby Theatre on Thursday, March 22, 2018, in Los Angeles. Harper announced Monday, July 10, 2023 that he is running for Michigan's open Senate seat and challenging U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin for the Democratic nomination. Harper is the sixth Democratic candidate to enter the race for retiring Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow's seat.

Hill Harper is reportedly exiting “The Good Doctor” amid the actor’s Democratic bid for a Michigan Senate seat.

The performer, who plays Dr. Marcus Andrews on the ABC drama, won’t be appearing in the show’s upcoming seventh season, according to TVLine, which was first to report the news.

Harper “feels strongly that there is a crisis in American democracy — too often, government only works for the rich and powerful while the rest of us struggle to find a voice,” his campaign spokesperson told the outlet Monday.

“Hill is dedicating his efforts full time to fixing that, and he’s running for the U.S. Senate as an active union member to give working people more of a voice in Congress,” the spokesperson said.

Harper’s campaign didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment by ITK.

The 57-year-old “CSI-NY” alum announced in July that he was entering the race for Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s (D) seat. Stabenow announced earlier this year she wouldn’t run for reelection in 2024.

The political newcomer faces a Democratic primary bid against Rep. Elissa Slotkin (Mich.).

Harper told The Detroit News when announcing his Senate run that he’s a member of the Screen Actors Guild and owns a Detroit coffee shop, which would make him the “only U.S. senator who is a current dues-paying, card-carrying union member” and “one of the very few small business owners in the U.S. Senate” if elected.