A ‘Queer Eye’ Star Is Running For Senate After Jonathan Van Ness Told Him To
It's hard to believe it's been over a year since Queer Eye viewers first tuned in to watch food expert Antoni Porowski, interior designer Bobby Berk, beauty guru Jonathan Van Ness, fashion designer Tan France, and culture aficionado Karamo Brown work their magic to transform lives on the hit Netflix series. It's easy to see why the formula still works: It's simultaneously heartwarming and captivating to watch the Fab Five build up the confidence of regular men and women while pushing them to start living their best lives. One of the show's fan-favorites just made a big move, and Jonathan Van Ness' tweet about Mayor Ted Terry's Senate run applauds just how much the millennial politician has grown since his glow-up. The best part? Van Ness totally called it back on Season 2.
You might remember back in June 2018, viewers were first introduced to Ted Terry and his trademark beard during the final episode of Season 2, entitled "Make Ted Great Again." The 36-year-old mayor of Clarkston, Georgia, who was the youngest person who'd ever held the post at the time when he was elected in 2013 at 30 years old, was dubbed the "hipster mayor" by the Fab Five due to his converse, flannels, and unruly facial hair.
While it was cool seeing the mayor's house transformed into a more grown-up space and his more refined-looking wardrobe ahead of hosting delegates from Sierra Leone and the Philippines, the real highlight of the episode was Terry's facial hair transformation, courtesy of Jonathan Van Ness. In the episode, the Queer Eye star memorably convinced Terry to shave off what he called his "resistance beard," while encouraging him to keep making waves by pushing a progressive agenda in the future as a senator or governor.
It looks like Terry took Van Ness' words to heart. Though he did end up growing some of his beard back ("I have definitely upped my grooming game," he said of taking Van Ness' grooming tips seriously in an August interview with City Lab. "I’m moisturizing!"), the politician announced on July 10 that he plans to run for the Georgia Senate against sitting Senator David Perdue. Perdue is a Republican and vocal Trump supporter. The election will take place on July 10, 2020.
Considering that Terry's career glow-up got a big boost with the help of the Fab Five, a Twitter user tagged Van Ness on the social media platform to share the news, writing, "Remember that time that @jvn told @tedterry1 to run for Senate on Queer Eye, and now he's running for Senate? The INFLUENCE."
Van Ness re-shared the news on Sunday, July 28, writing, "Wow. I called it who knew." Terry didn't specifically say it was Van Ness' advice that gave him the push, but it seems like he definitely valued his time with the Queer Eye crew.
In a July 10 interview with Atlanta magazine, the 36-year-old says that he hopes to bring "a new generation of leadership to the Senate - a new perspective.”
"The median age of the Senate is over 60 years old, and there is no voice representing what would be the largest voting block in America in 2020 - the under 35-year-old voting block," he explained.
In addition to pushing more more progressive legislation like the non-discrimination ordinance that he passed in Clarkston, Terry said he hopes to bring the same warmth and transparency to his new role.
"My first year as mayor, I got rid of my mayoral office and opted to have all of my meetings out in the public at local coffee shops, parks and restaurants," he told the publication. "I will bring that same level of transparency to the Senate office."
Only time will tell whether Terry's path to the Senate is successful, but maybe Queer Eye fans will get to see Van Ness on the campaign trail, helping his buddy get elected.
