15 celebrities who got political in 2018

5. Oprah

Oprah doesn’t want to run for President. She wants you to know that, and so she’s stated pretty clearly that it’s never going to happen. When someone says that seeking such an office would actually kill them, that seems plenty clear. So, right off, let’s establish that Oprah almost certainly isn’t going to run for the White House in 2020.

None of that means Oprah can’t get political, however. Even if she wields so-called “soft” power via her influence and connections, that remains considerable. We are talking about Oprah, after all. She’s reportedly friends with the Obamas and is already a well-known Democrat. Even if she were scrupulously mum about her politics, something would be bound to come across. She’s just that famous.

Really, though, Oprah isn’t that quiet about her political leanings. Her relationship with Barack Obama reportedly gave him a serious boost when he first ran for president in 2008. She’s well-known, having been a talk show host and public figure since the 1980s. Oprah is also, if not universally adored, pretty well liked by a wide and diverse swath of people.

This year, Oprah campaigned most prominently for Stacey Abrams, the Democratic candidate for governor of Georgia. She also generally called for those in the audience and beyond to get serious about voting. Like many celebrities in the lead up to the 2018 U.S. midterms, Oprah leaned heavily on the voter registration and voting message. Though Abrams lost her election, the record number of midterm voters nationwide indicate that at least part of Oprah influence paid off in a big way.