The former Little House on the Prairie child star, a fervent Democrat, is fighting against Republican Mike Bishop for Michigan's eighth congressional district .

On her campaign website, Gilbert, who has lived in Howell, Michigan with her actor husband Timothy Busfield since 2013, writes, "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. 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."

While this is her first time running for public office, Gilbert has already had past election success - she was voted in as president of the Screen Actors Guild in 2001 and served to 2005.