Fox News anchor Geraldo Rivera says that he is “truly contemplating” running for a U.S. Senate seat in his native New Jersey. The Hill caught the comments made by Rivera on his daily syndicated radio program.
“I mention this only briefly, fasten your seatbelt,” Rivera said. “I am and I’ve been in touch with some people in the Republican Party in New Jersey. I am truly contemplating running for Senate against Frank Lautenberg or Cory Booker in New Jersey.”
He did note that he has contractual obligations to FNC and his radio syndicator, but that a run was worth looking into:
“I’m not going to drill this out, because obviously I’ve got commitments to Fox and to here at the radio program and I’m really having a great time,” he said. “But I figure at my age, if I’m going to do it I’ve got to do it.
Rivera anchors a weekend program on Fox News, and is also a correspondent for the network. He joined the channel in 2001.
Rivera is not the first cable news host to contemplate a run for Senate. Back in 2008 MSNBC host Chris Matthews also had preliminary conversations about running for a seat in Pennsylvania. There is even some precedent: Al Franken, once a comedian on “Saturday Night Live,” is now a Senator from Minnesota.