Antonio Sabàto Jr., who first rose to fame as General Hospital’s Jagger Cates and in a series of Calvin Klein underwear ads about 20 years ago, has announced that he’s running for a Congressional seat as a Republican in California. He followed up his GH stint with a similar role on the 1995 Melrose Place reboot and a series of TV movies, as well as a return to soaps about a decade ago on The Bold And The Beautiful and General Hospital: Night Shift. Other than soapiness, Sabato Jr. is now best-known as one of the few celebrity Trump supporters who’s not Scott Baio. Like Baio, he spoke on the first day of the Republican National Convention, where he was listed as “soap opera actor.” He’s also appeared on many reality programs, like Cupcake Wars, Celebrity Wife Swap, Fix It & Finish It, and Dancing With The Stars, just like current Secretary Of Energy Rick Perry. The Italian-born actor became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1996.
CNN reports that Sabàto Jr. filed papers on Monday with the Federal Election Commission on Monday. He ”was inspired to run for office during President Donald Trump’s 2016 run,” Charles Moran, his top fundraiser, told CNN on Monday, and will likely use his connections with the Trump administration—and the President himself—to differentiate himself with other Republicans in the district and the seat’s current Democratic occupant, Rep. Julia Brownley.” Even in today’s political climate, Sabàto Jr. might have trouble in California, one of the bluest states. Still, he seems optimistic on Twitter, even as he supports an administration that appears to be no fan of immigrants like himself: