‘Little House on the Prairie’ star running for Congress

Melissa Gilbert, an American actress, is running for Congress in Michigan’s 8th District, challenging Republican freshman Rep. Mike Bishop.

Michigan’s 8th Congressional District stretches east of Lansing through Ingham and Livingston counties and into northern Oakland County.

Gilbert served a president of the Screen Actors Guild from 2001-05, a position once held by Ronald Reagan.

Gilbert, 51, best known for her portrayal of Laura Ingalls Wilder in the long running television series “Little House on the Prairie“, lives in Livingston County.

“Please join me in my fight for working families”, Gilbert tweeted Monday.

But someone with Gilbert’s celebrity could make a splash, especially when it comes to raising funds for her campaign.

“I’m running for Congress to make life a little easier for all the families who feel they have fallen through the cracks in today’s economy”, Gilbert said in a statement released on her website, www.gilbertformichigan.com. She added that she could be a “fresh voice” to get that job done. The party referenced a Detroit News story that reveals the actress owes about $360,000 to the IRS.

The Michigan Republican Party, pointing to the tax dispute, questioned whether voters should trust Gilbert on the economy.

First term U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, now holds the seat and Gilbert’s tax woes appear likely to surface during the campaign.

Bishop spokesman Stu Sandler pointed to Gilbert’s tax problems. Bishop’s seat is regarded as one of national Republicans’ most vulnerable.