Actor Kelsey Grammer, best known for his roles in the sitcoms “Cheers” and “Frasier,” endorsed Republican Senate candidate Curtis Bashaw in his race to replace disgraced former Sen. Bob Menendez in New Jersey, saying he was fed up with “bankrupt elites in my town” who were disappointed the assassin didn’t kill former President Donald Trump.
Mr. Grammer made a plea for support for Mr. Bashaw in a fundraising email, writing that he has been “a known conservative in Hollywood throughout my career. It wasn’t always easy, but the latest from the bankrupt elites in my town really got to me.”
“After President Trump was shot, the only echo reverberating through my so-called ’community’ was a regret that the assassin failed to kill him,” he said. “Weeks later, on a zoom call: White Dudes for Kamala. In a masterpiece of intolerance, in a breathtakingly short period of time, we learned what they are all about: Hatred and Racism. Pathetic.”
Mr. Bashaw, a real estate developer who owns a string of hotels in New Jersey, is facing off against Rep. Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat.
Both candidates are vying to replace Menendez, who resigned from Congress this summer after being convicted for 16 counts, including bribery, extortion, wire fraud, obstruction of justice and acting as a foreign agent, for his role in a yearslong bribery scheme.
A Republican has not been elected to serve as Senator for the Garden State since 1972. Mr. Kim so far has an advantage in polling over Mr. Bashaw in the deep blue state. While flipping the seat would aid in the GOP’s quest to take over the Senate, Republicans have largely focused on more contentious races in Montana and Ohio.
“I believe Curtis Bashaw is the right kind of man to send to Washington to promote well-being in New Jersey and the United States at large,” Mr. Grammar said. “We can look to him to protect the Jersey Shore.”
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.