\u201cNot because I was looking for a new career, but because I asked myself an honest question: could I make a meaningful difference?\u201d<\/p>\n
Questioning himself led to the 62-year-old actor thinking about the kind of leadership his state needs.<\/p>\n
He wrote: \u201cThat question led me to another one I think matters even more. What kind of leadership are we really looking for?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI want someone who leads with empathy. Someone who listens before speaking, who has the courage to work with people they disagree with and who understands that public office isn\u2019t about power. It\u2019s about service.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of all, I want integrity. That may sound idealistic today, but it shouldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
After highlighting the importance of community, healthcare and education, Dempsey ruled himself out of running.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs I reflected on all of this, I kept coming back to one question: do I truly want to serve in Congress?<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter a lot of thought, I realised the answer is no. Not because public service isn\u2019t honourable \u2013 it absolutely is. But because I believe I can contribute more effectively through the life I\u2019ve already built.”<\/p>\n
Dempsey, who founded The Dempsey Centre for cancer care and support in 2008, is keen to do what he can to make people\u2019s lives better in other ways.<\/p>\n
He wrote: \u201cWhether you\u2019re an elected official, a teacher, a nurse, a business owner, a parent or a volunteer, service begins with one simple question: how can I make someone else\u2019s life a little better?<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the work I want to keep doing. So no, I\u2019m not running for office. But I am asking something of the people who do.<\/p>\n
\u201cLead with humility. Tell the truth. Put people before party.<\/p>\n
\u201cRemember that public office is a privilege not a career path and that leadership isn\u2019t measured by how loudly you speak or how often you\u2019re on television. It\u2019s measured by whether people\u2019s lives are better because you served.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the kind of leadership Maine deserves. It\u2019s the kind of leadership America deserves, too.\u201d<\/p>\n