Ex-‘Star Trek’ actor to run for office as Mark Twain

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: A former Klingon actor is running for Congress as Mark Twain.
J.G. Hertzler, who played Klingon General Martok on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” is throwing his extraterrestrial humanoid warrior hat in the House race against Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.).
The performer filed last week with the Federal Elections Commission to run as a Democrat for Reed’s House seat.
{mosads}
“I disagree with everything Reed supports, including his unrelenting support of the Trumpster,” Hertzler wrote in a recent Facebook post.
Reed served as a vice chair on President Trump’s transition team.
But Hertzler, 67, says this is no ordinary political bid, as he’s adding a “twist” to the 2018 congressional race.
“I am running in the persona of Mark Twain,” says Hertzler. “I will be making appearances throughout the district of 11 counties, sometimes in my birth persona as JG Hertzler, and at other times I will endeavor to present my ideas and policies through the brilliant humorist for all ages, Citizen Twain.”
Hertlzer, currently an elected town board member in Ulysses, N.Y., says he considers the unusual move a “valentine” to Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the pen name of Twain.
“To my knowledge, its never been done before,” Hertzler says, “and I look forward to the challenge.”
— Ben Kamisar contributed.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.