January 20, 2013

Yup, Ashley Judd Sounds Like She’s Running for Something

Actress Ashley Judd and Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)@clairemc/Twitter

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The surest sign yet that Ashley Judd might actually run for Senate? She’s starting to talk like she might actually run for Senate. On Saturday, the actress and activist told guests at the Bluegrass Ball in Washington, DC that she was “certainly taking a close look” at challenging Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in 2014. She didn’t, however, answer a Politico reporter’s question about gun control legislation—a subject that other red-state Democrats like West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and Montana Sen. Max Baucus have also avoided. So on Sunday, I put the question to her again at a brunch reception for EMILY’s List, the organization dedicated to support pro-choice female Democratic candidates.

Judd didn’t take the bait: “I really enjoyed—I was very proud of the Vice President’s role on that,” she said. “I liked the consultation and the full voice of people across the spectrum of opinions and ideology about it. I thought focusing in particular on video game creators was important. And I hope that there will be buy-in.”

Thus concluded the Mother Jones Ashley Judd interview. Of course, the biggest hint that Judd is seriously considering a run might just be how she exited the brunch EMILY’s List brunch—carpooling with Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.):

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This is how change happens.

One story at a time.

This investigative reporting takes time too. Months of research. Weeks of writing, editing, and fact checking—and putting together the photography, art, video, and audio that tell the stories in a new way, illuminating new perspectives and voices.

We can afford to take our time because we don’t report to oligarchs or corporations. We report to you, and for you.

And the stakes are high. Democracy is on the defense. We’ve been exposing corruption and scandal for five decades, and this is a pivotal moment in our country’s history. Will democracy prevail? We won’t wait for time to tell—independent journalism is essential for democracy, and we’ll keep doing our part to amplify the free press.

So, we’re asking: Will you join the fight? Mother Jones has been here for 50 years, and we need your support to fuel the future of investigative journalism. Mark our 50th anniversary with a gift of any amount.

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