‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star Patrick Dempsey says he won’t run for Senate in Maine

2026 Election‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star Patrick Dempsey says he won’t run for Senate in MaineThe actor said he considered a Senate run after being asked about it “more than once” as Democratic nominee Graham Platner faces calls to drop out.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleActor Patrick Dempsey says he won’t run for Senate in Maine02:45Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJuly 8, 2026, 6:23 PM EDTBy Kyla GuilfoilWhile actor Patrick Dempsey saved a lot of lives on “Grey’s Anatomy,” he won’t be the McDreamy candidate to rescue Democrats in Maine if Graham Platner drops out.Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Dempsey, who played neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd on the long-running ABC medical drama, said Wednesday that he will not be throwing his hat into the ring for the Senate race after his name was one of many floated as a potential replacement for Platner, the embattled Democratic nominee.“I kept coming back to one question: Do I truly want to serve in Congress? After a lot of thought, I realized the answer is no,” Dempsey, a Maine native, wrote in an op-ed published by the Portland Press Herald.“Not because public service isn’t honorable — it absolutely is. But because I believe I can contribute more effectively through the life I’ve already built,” he added.Dempsey’s announcement comes as Platner weighs dropping out of the race after a new allegation of sexual assault against him, which he denies, spurred even his most loyal supporters in Congress to pull their endorsements.Before the new allegation, a survey conducted by Tavern Research, a Democratic polling firm, showed Dempsey’s name as a possible contender in the race.Former state Senate President Troy Jackson and Nirav Shah, a former director of Maine’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, were also named in the poll. Both Jackson and Shah lost bids in the state’s Democratic gubernatorial primary...