Ben Affleck is not denying rumors that he could run for Senate in Massachusetts if Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) steps down.
“One never knows," he told CBS anchor Bob Schieffer, in a taped interview for Sunday's episode of "Face the Nation."
The "Argo" actor-director refused to speculate on the possibility, but did fan the flames of rumor.
"I’m not going to get into speculation about my political future," he said. “I do have a great fondness and admiration for the political process in this country."
According to CBS Boston's Jon Keller, Affleck, a native of Cambridge, Mass., could be qualified to run.
Affleck was on Capitol Hill this week to meet with members of Congress and testify before the House Armed Services Committee about the crisis in the Congo. Along with being a likely front-runner for Academy Award nominations next year, Affleck is a humanitarian who founded the Eastern Congo Initiative.
Affleck said he's "got a lot on my plate," at the moment, without actually denying interest in a future political career.
"Right now, I’m really happy being involved from the outside in government, advocating for the Congolese," he said, adding that "Argo" has "really become a springboard for dialogue about our relationship with Iran, which is, as [Secretary of State] Hillary Clinton said, the most pressing foreign policy issue today."
Clinton is retiring as secretary of State next year, and Kerry is her most likely replacement. Kerry's exit would set off a hot competition in Massachusetts, likely involving exiting Sen. Scott Brown on the Republican side and a contested primary among Democrats.
Affleck supported the Senate bid of Elizabeth Warren (D) in Massachusetts this year. Warren successfully ousted Brown.
