Bachelor Star Ben Higgins Plans To Run For Public Office

Published on July 22, 2016.

Mireya Acierto / FilmMagic

Update: Ben Higgins has announced that he is no longer running for public office. “I regret that I must withdraw my candidacy,” he said in a new statement. “Despite my best efforts to pursue this opportunity in good faith, I recently received information that has made such a pursuit unworkable. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I will not be able to move forward as a candidate. I find solace in knowing that our intentions and actions have been fair and sincere. I entered into this endeavor wanting to bring positive change to my community, and it is with that same spirit that I will move forward, albeit on a different path.”

The 28-year-old originally planned to run as a Republican in House District 4, which currently has a Democratic foothold. The Associated Press confirmed that Higgins planned to run against Democratic Representative Dan Pabon.

In a statement to The Denver Post on Thursday, July 21, Higgins said he felt he had the experience needed to run for public office. “I am definitely not a politician, but I have a lot to offer through my years in the financial service industry and, more importantly, my work in charitable and humanitarian organizations,” he said in his statement.

Earlier this year, Higgins openly discussed his interest in pursuing a political career. “People reach out to me about community development and planning and how to counsel places that need help, which is really cool because it isn’t something I necessarily had a platform on before, other than my service, and so through all of that the next question was post-Bachelor, this platform that I now had, what should we do with that?” he told Us Weekly. “And one of the first things that came to mind was I’ve always had a large interest in politics.”

Higgins is also busy filming his new TV series with fiancée Lauren Bushnell, titled Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After. Lauren was the Bachelor’s season 20 winner. The show is scheduled to air in the fall on the Freeform network.