During the 1980 Democratic Party presidential primaries he supported Senator Ted Kennedy and gave multiple speeches in favor of him in Florida. In 2004 along with Rob Reiner, Sheen campaigned for Democratic presidential candidates Howard Dean and John Kerry. In 2006, members of the Democratic Party in Ohio reportedly contacted Sheen, attempting to persuade him to run for the United States Senate. Sheen declined the offer, stating, "I'm just not qualified. You're mistaking celebrity for credibility." In the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, Sheen initially endorsed New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson in and helped raise funds for his campaign. After Richardson dropped out of the campaign, Sheen supported Barack Obama.