'Boy Meets World' Star Ben Savage Is Vying for a Seat on the West Hollywood City Council

Emma McIntyre/Getty

Ben Savage is reentering the world of politics. The Boy Meets World alum, 41, has announced that he is running for a seat on the city council of West Hollywood, California.

"I am running for City Council because there are serious challenges ahead and West Hollywood deserves sensible, honest and strong leadership to face them," Savage wrote on his campaign website.

He continued, "We need new leaders with a fresh perspective who are ready to begin tackling these issues."

RELATED: Celebrities Who've Talked About Running for Office — and Some Who Were Actually Elected

The actor, a West Hollywood resident for 18 years, said he has also decided to throw his hat into the ring because "people have become disappointed with the direction the city is heading."

"WeHo has a hard-working, vibrant workforce, a thriving small and local business community, and endless opportunities for investment and growth," he said.

Savage's interest in politics is not new. While at Stanford University in 2003, he interned for Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, according to a Rolling Stone interview that coincided with the 2014 premiere of the Disney Channel spinoff Girl Meets World.

RELATED: Danielle Fishel Says She and Ben Savage Went on One Date to See If There Were 'Feelings There'

Meanwhile, the star's news comes on the heels of some family drama.

Eric McCandless via Getty

Savage's older brother, The Wonder Years alum Fred Savage, is facing increased scrutiny about his behavior after dark new details surrounding his abrupt firing from ABC's reboot of The Wonder Years are surfacing.

Earlier this month, The Hollywood Reporter published accounts of six female crew members alleging sexual harassment by Fred, 46. The story details the series of events leading up to the women sending a complaint to Disney and speaking to a human resources executive about their concerns with Fred's behavior toward women on set.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Per the report, the group of women are claiming they "saw two very different sides of [Fred] Savage: a charismatic, seemingly supportive colleague and a far darker, angrier alter ego." They also claim he "could flip to the latter persona in an instant and in such moments, one says, 'His eyes would go dead.'" But one woman said he never behaved this way in front of actors or executives, who would only "see his absolute perfect, best face."

Despite the firing, Fred has denied wrongdoing. "While there are some incidents being reported that absolutely did not and could not have happened, any one person who feels hurt or offended by my actions is one person too many," he said in a statement obtained by NBC News. "I will work to address and change any behavior that has negatively affected anyone, as nothing in this world is more important to me than being a supportive co-worker, friend, husband, father and person."