Congressman Baldwin? A Bishop Loss Might Provide The Opportunity

It's no secret that the Hamptons' most famous outspoken citizen, Alec Baldwin, is interested in leaving acting to pursue a career in politics. But Baldwin, who plays Reaganite mogul Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock, was hesitant to challenge fellow Dems in order to run. "The desire is there; that's one component," he told CNN last year. "The other component is opportunity."

It now appears that opportunity might present itself in his own district. Politico is reporting that Tim Bishop, a Democrat who has held the post for the Suffolk congressional district which includes the Hamptons, has been surpassed in the most recent vote count by GOPer Randy Altschuler. It's a surprising turn of events given that most Republicans had expected Altschuler to concede last week.

Baldwin previously postulated that only a vacancy (or death?) in his district would inspire him to run.

"Do I run for Congress on Long Island? What's Tim Bishop going to do? He represents my district. People get sick, die. They're offered lucrative deals and want to cash in and make money for their retirement...Unfortunately, an opportunity for me may mean bad things for someone else. I don't wish that."

It now appears he won't need to. One ranking democrat close to Baldwin says that he has recently reiterated his desire to run once his 30 Rock contract expires, so in the coming days we'll see whether Bishop's unlucky fate might change Baldwin's.