Clay Aiken Is Running for Congress Again
Clay Aiken is running for Congress in his home state of North Carolina.
The 43-year-old revealed his plans to make a second run for a seat in the state's 6th District Monday (Jan. 10).
Aiken reflected on his time in the public eye — which started after finishing in second place to Ruben Studdard during the second season of American Idol in 2003 — in an announcement post shared via Twitter.
"Can you believe it's been almost 20 years since I first got to share my voice with you? That's a long time. A LOT has changed," the Idol alum mused.
"We need powerful voices more than ever," he added. "So I'm running for Congress."
Check out his tweet below:
The accompanying campaign video highlights controversial North Carolina politicians in an attempt to drive home the point that it's time for a change in the state and the country as a whole.
"For every Madison [Cawthorn] and Mark [Robinson] in North Carolina, there's a Marjorie [Taylor Greene] in Georgia or a Lauren [Boebert] in Colorado. These folks are taking up all the oxygen in the room and I got to tell you, I am sick of it."
Aiken has a proposal, too: "If the loudest and most hateful voices think they're going to speak for us, just tell 'em I'm warming up the old vocal cords."
Aiken will be running for the seat as a Democrat. In the video, he also shares a message for the party:
"We as level-headed, open-minded and compassionate Democrats, we have always been the party of all Americans. We have always been the big tent, and we've got to continue to be that. Because from stopping climate change and systemic racism and income inequality and gun violence to securing voting rights and free healthcare and a women's right to choose, we are the ones who are going to solve the country's biggest problems."
The seat in the 6th District is currently held by Democratic Representative David E. Price. The Washington Post notes that Price announced plans to retire from Congress in late 2021.
There will be a good deal of competition for his seat, which is expected to go to the prevailing Democratic candidate based on the district's liberal lean.
The Washington Post reports that this marks Aiken's second campaign for office. Following rumors about congressional ambitions, the singer attempted to secure the seat for North Carolina's 2nd District in 2014.
He managed to win a spot fronting the Democratic ticket but was unable to best the Republican candidate — Renee L. Ellmers — in the general election that year.
Although it was his first time campaigning for office, it was not Aiken's first time taking a political stance. The Measure of a Man star spoke out against a North Carolina ban on gay marriages in 2012.
You can learn more about Aiken's latest campaign for office by checking out his official website, which recently got a facelift to reflect his political ambitions.