The Good Doctor Season 7 Loses Major Cast Member ... To The U.S. Senate?

"The Good Doctor" on ABC occasionally delves into political topics, but one cast member is taking it to the next level by casting aside his series-regular role for a chance at the United States Senate. Hill Harper, who's played Dr. Marcus Andrews since Season 1, announced several months ago he was running for political office in Michigan. He's vying for the seat being vacated by Debbie Stabenow, and TV Line has confirmed that his campaign will prevent him from appearing in "The Good Doctor" Season 7.

Harper's campaign spokesperson released a statement about his candidacy: "Hill Harper feels strongly that there is a crisis in American democracy — too often, government only works for the rich and powerful while the rest of us struggle to find a voice. Hill is dedicating his efforts full time to fixing that, and he's running for the U.S. Senate as an active union member to give working people more of a voice in Congress."

Harper's departure may not be too surprising for some. In "The Good Doctor" Season 6 finale, Dr. Andrews resigns from his position as hospital president following the revelation he had a relationship with Nurse Dalisay Villanueva (Elfina Luk). It sets the stage for him not playing a role going forward in the medical drama, but he may wind up with an important new role in the Senate.

Hill Harper is a prolific actor. Prior to joining the cast of "The Good Doctor," he played Sheldon Hawkes for nine seasons of "CSI: NY," a role Harper loved for shattering stereotypes. His acting resume is lengthy, but fans may not know he already has a background in politics. 

Harper is a graduate of Brown and Harvard, and while attending the latter, he was actually friends with President Barack Obama. Obama ended up appointing Harper in 2012 to a three-person panel that would work on offering recommendations surrounding cancer policy to the White House. Over the course of his career, Harper has worked with some major law firms across the country, and in 2016, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law made him its national spokesperson. Now, Harper is running for Senate as a Democrat and offering progressive viewpoints.

Harper is running against fellow Democratic United States Representative Elissa Slotkin for the Senate seat; however, he's coming into the race with positions further to the left of her. He supports universal healthcare and getting special interests out of politics, and if elected, Harper would become a noteworthy figure as the only Senate member to be part of a union, seeing as he's in SAG-AFTRA. While fans may miss seeing Dr. Marcus Andrews on "The Good Doctor," there's a chance he'll be able to do a lot more good in the Senate.