Close was born into a Democratic family. Her political donations have mostly been made in support of Democratic politicians, including Hillary Clinton, Howard Dean, John Edwards, Angus King and Barack Obama. She also spoke at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Close voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election and attended his inauguration. In a 2016 interview with Andrew Marr for the BBC, Close criticized Donald Trump, calling his campaign "terribly frightening." She later reiterated her sentiments about Trump, stating, "he doesn't stand for anything I believe in." In 2018, Close campaigned for Kathleen Williams and Debbie Stabenow in each of their respective elections.