Val Kilmer says he believes the office of governor is his if he wants it.
“If I run, I’m going to be the next governor,” he was quoted by The Associated Press as saying.
Kilmer said he hasn’t decided whether to run. If he does, he said, he’ll benefit from being an actor because people will want to meet him. But, the news service’s Deborah Baker quoted Kilmer as saying, he isn’t thinking about running because of his fame.
“I’m just looking for ways to be contributive,” the news service quoted him as saying, “and if that ends up being where I can make a substantial contribution, then I’ll run.”
Kilmer said he’s not a politician and isn’t “going to try to become one,” adding that he has “no interest in being governor of New Mexico for… fame and power.”
It’s not the first time the actor, who lives on a ranch near Pecos, has sounded so confident about his chances if he jumps into the 2010 gubernatorial race. He was quoted by the Boston Globe last month as saying that a lot of actors become politicians, “and they always win, so I guess we’ll see.”
Though Kilmer has been openly talking to the national media for months about considering the gubernatorial race, this week is the first that he’s been politicking in New Mexico. In addition to his interview with the New Mexico Associated Press reporter, he appeared on the floor of the state House of Representatives with Speaker Ben Lujan earlier this week.