Actress Melissa Gilbert announces congressional campaign

DETROIT, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert said Monday she's running for Congress for Michigan's 8th District.

She made the announcement on her website, GilbertForMichigan.com.

"I'm running for Congress to make life a little easier for all the families who feel they have fallen through the cracks in today's economy," Gilbert said. "I believe building a new economy is a team effort, and we need to bring fresh voices to the table to get the job done."

Gilbert is running as a Democrat in a district that has predominantly voted Republican in recent elections, the Detroit Free Press reported. Last year, U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop, a Republican, beat out Democrat Eric Schertzing for the seat.

The district voted for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney 51 percent to 48 percent in 2012, though in 2008, it selected President Barack Obama 52 percent to 46 percent.

This will be Gilbert's first political campaign, though she did serve as president of the Screen Actors Guild for two terms from 2001 to 2005.