‘Boy Meets World’ Actor Ben Savage Announces Run For Congress

Actor Ben Savage, best known for his role as Cory Matthews in the 90’s TV show ‘Boy Meets World’, officially announced that he would run for Congress on Tuesday.

Savage will be running in the LA-centric 30th Congressional District, which will be vacated by it’s current Congressman, Adam Schiff (D-CA) next year. Schiff, who has held the seat since 2001, announced in January that he would be opting to run for the U.S. Senate in 2024, opening up the district to it’s first non-incumbent election in over two decades.

So far, nearly a dozen candidates have already entered the race. Amongst those running with previous political experience include Assemblywoman Laura Friedman (D-North Hollywood), LA Board of Education member Nick Melvoin, state Senator Anthony Portantino (D-La Canada Flintridge), former Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, and West Hollywood Mayor Sepi Shyne. Some endorsements have already been given out as well, with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass backing Feuer and Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis supporting Friedman.

Compared to the others, however, Savage is entering the race with little overall political experience. Born in Chicago, Savage began work as a child actor in the late 1980’s before landing the role as Cory Matthews in Boy Meets World. Following the end of the show in 2000, Savage went to Stanford University, graduating with a degree in political science. He parlayed that for his first stint in politics in 2003 when he became an intern for Republican Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Spector.

However, he soon went back into acting, even starring in the Boy Meets World revival series, Girl Meets World, in the late 2010s. In 2022, Savage reentered politics, running for one of the open West Hollywood City Council seats. Savage ultimately didn’t win though, losing out to three other candidates. Despite the loss, Savage filed to run in January for Schiff’s seat, leading up to his campaign announcement on Tuesday.

“Together, we can do better. I am a proud Californian, union member and longtime resident of District 30 who comes from a family of unwavering service to our country and community,” said Savage in his announcement on Tuesday. “I firmly believe in standing up for what is right, ensuring equality and expanding opportunities for all.

“I’m running for Congress because it’s time to restore faith in government by offering reasonable, innovative and compassionate solutions to our country’s most pressing issues. And it’s time for new and passionate leaders who can help move our country forward. Leaders who want to see the government operating at maximum capacity, unhindered by political divisions and special interests.”

Political experts note that , while not expected to win, Savage’s entrance will have a profound effect on the primary election for the district early next year.

“Celebrities running always manage to get a good chunk of the vote, even if they don’t win,” Denise Harder, a Glendale-based polling consultant, told the Globe on Tuesday. “I mean, the race already has a lot of known names in it and a lot of pockets of support. Savage can easily get the votes of people in the entertainment interest, some union members due to him being in SAG-AFTRA, and a lot of younger and more casual voters simply because of him being well known from TV. For the last one, it has happened in California before.”

“In the end people will probably go more with experience on this one, but Savage can get a lot of support in the primary if he plays his cards right and proves himself to be competent on the issues. If he makes the November election, well, we’ll need to revisit this. But the big thing for him now is to show that he knows politics. Prepare for then enter debates, give some speeches, give some interviews, and sit in on some city council meetings in his district to get the local issues down pat. That’s all important for him right now. Maybe even try to get Schiff’s support. A year away from the primaries sounds like a longer time than it really is though, and he needs to be prepared against people who have held office before.”

Other candidates are expected to join in the race soon.