Hill Harper, Senate candidate, exits The Good Doctor

Hill Harper is leaving The Good Doctor with the hope of becoming a Good Senator.

The actor who played Dr. Marcus Andrews is stepping away from the ABC medical drama to focus on his campaign for the United States Senate, TVLine reports. Harper seeks to secure the Democratic nomination for Michigan’s open senate seat, which incumbent Debbie Stabenow will vacate in 2025 after four six-year terms.

Harper, 57, was one of just a handful of series regulars remaining from The Good Doctor’s first season, along with lead Freddie Highmore and Richard Schiff. Harper graduated from Harvard Law School in 1992 before launching his screen acting career with projects like Married…with Children, Get on the Bus, Beloved, and CSI: NY.
“Hill 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,” Harper’s campaign spokesperson told TVLine. “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.”

Harper is campaigning on a platform supporting universal healthcare, climate justice, raising the federal minimum wage, and eliminating the filibuster from the U.S. Senate, according to his campaign website. In the Democratic primary, the actor is facing Elissa Slotkin, the congressional representative for Michigan’s 7th district, who has received the majority of the race’s endorsements from key figures in the state and federal government.