AdamSmith Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 This could get interesting. Clay Aiken may run for Congress The out singer has been active on LGBT issues in recent years. | AP Photo By TAL KOPAN | 1/3/14 6:13 AM EST politico.com Former American Idol runner-up and singer Clay Aiken is taking steps toward a run for Congress, according to a new report. Sources told The Washington Blade that Aiken has been meeting with political operatives in D.C. and is actively considering launching a bid for Congress in North Carolina. Aiken has reportedly reached out to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, according to North Carolina strategist Betsy Conti and polling firm Hart Research Associates. If he were to run, Aiken would be vying for the seat currently held by second-term GOP Rep. Renee Ellmers, who may also face a primary challenge from the right and who last summer ruled out a run for Senate. The out singer has been active on LGBT issues in recent years. Aiken would have to file by Feb. 28 at noon to run in the May 6 primary. http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/clay-aiken-congress-run-north-carolina-101708.html#ixzz2pLqmWsab Quote
Members TampaYankee Posted January 4, 2014 Members Posted January 4, 2014 Don't think he is the face of South Carolina these days. TotallyOz 1 Quote
AdamSmith Posted January 4, 2014 Author Posted January 4, 2014 North Carolina. TY, please! NC has always liked to style itself, relative to SC & VA, "a vale of humility between two mountains of conceit." As for Clay, the assets of fame and relative youth might play well in an electoral contest in the district he is considering running in, which has swung back and forth between electing Dems and Repubs for some time now, after a long stretch as solidly Democratic. TotallyOz 1 Quote
Members RA1 Posted January 4, 2014 Members Posted January 4, 2014 I always just call it Carolina with the expectation that my friends that live there know the difference (as I do). NC has beautiful mountains, mostly relaxed citizens and a wide range of business and topographical features. All good. SC has the ole ball coach, nice, warm beaches and Charlie South, also all good. I like your comment so long as it is a vale, not veil of humility. Best regards, RA1 AdamSmith 1 Quote
AdamSmith Posted January 5, 2014 Author Posted January 5, 2014 A bit more on his chances of winning: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/01/clay_aiken_considering_run_for_congress_what_are_his_chances.html Quote
Members wayout Posted January 5, 2014 Members Posted January 5, 2014 I think he has a decent chance, if for no other reason than the expected backlash against incumbents by the public for a perceived do-nothing congress. Quote
Members TampaYankee Posted January 5, 2014 Members Posted January 5, 2014 North Carolina. TY, please! NC has always liked to style itself, relative to SC & VA, "a vale of humility between two mountains of conceit." As for Clay, the assets of fame and relative youth might play well in an electoral contest in the district he is considering running in, which has swung back and forth between electing Dems and Repubs for some time now, after a long stretch as solidly Democratic. Guess I got confused. Quote
AdamSmith Posted February 5, 2014 Author Posted February 5, 2014 It's official. Local punditry for now seems divided on whether other likely Democratic challengers would have a better chance of unseating the Republican incumbent, or whether that's a lost cause in any event given the district's makeup, or whether the elements of celebrity as well as righteous-cause-making that Aiken will bring are in fact Democrats' best bet for offsetting the district's not entirely overmastering tilt toward voting Republican. Clay Aiken launches bid for Congress Posted by CNN's Paul Steinhauser and Steve Brusk (CNN) - Singer Clay Aiken of "American Idol" fame is running for Congress. Aiken announced early Wednesday that he'll seek the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Rep. Renee Ellmers in North Carolina's second congressional district. In a video put up on his campaign website, Aiken criticized the partisanship that smothers Congress, saying "I am not a politician. I never want to be one. But I do want to bring back, at least to my corner of North Carolina, the idea that someone can go to Washington to represent all the people, whether they voted for you or not." Aiken also highlighted his personal story, sharing that he grew up in a home torn apart by domestic violence, and how that inspired him to be a voice for the powerless. And he touted his work as a special education teacher for students with autism. "The years I spent as a special education teacher for students with autism was my first window into the difference that a person can make in someone's life," Aiken said. Aiken said he was fortunate to find success in the entertainment industry, but cautioned that "for most Americans, there are no golden tickets. At least not like the kind you see on TV. More families are struggling today than at any time in our history. And here in North Carolina, we've suffered more than our share of pain." He also took a shot at Ellmers, criticizing her votes on the government shutdown and funding for the military, which is extremely important in a district that neighbors Fort Bragg, one of the largest U.S. Army bases in the country. Aiken said that Ellmers went to Washington to "vote against the best interests of North Carolina military families and those who depend on the military for their jobs. To do it when you know it's wrong is even worse." Aiken, 35, claimed that Ellmers voted the way her party leaders told her to, saying that "in the end, convinced me that if I didn't try and do something about it, then I couldn't complain if no one else did." Ellmers, when asked about Aiken in a recent radio interview on WMAL , said "currently his performing career is not going so well, and he's very bored." Aiken, who gained national attention when he came in second to Ruben Studdard in the second season of American Idol, joins two other Democrats who have already declared their bids for Congress in the district. Can Aiken win? The second congressional district is located in the central and eastern parts of North Carolina. The two-term Ellmers won 56% of the vote in her 2012 re-election, but she slightly underperformed the GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who beat President Barack Obama 58%-41% in the district. The GOP held seat was not one that national Democrats were targeting in this November's midterm elections. "I think this will become the highest profile, non-competitive race in the country. If Aiken wasn't running as a Democrat in a Republican district in President Obama's second midterm, he might have a decent shot," Nathan Gonzales, deputy editor of the non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report, told CNN. "Being on American idol doesn't change the fact that he's a Democrat in a Republican district." http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/02/05/clay-aiken-launches-bid-for-congress/?hpt=hp_t2 Quote
Guest hitoallusa Posted February 6, 2014 Posted February 6, 2014 Oh my.. He is so cute.. I hope he gets elected.. Quote
Members TampaYankee Posted February 6, 2014 Members Posted February 6, 2014 Great announcement video kicks off his campaign. Saw it on Lawrence last night. Quote
Guest zipperzone Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 Oh my.. He is so cute.. I hope he gets elected.. hito: Thank God the Bieber isn't running for anything or you'd vote for him too. A cute face doesn't make anyone eligible for anything more important than Dog Catcher. Quote
Members MsGuy Posted February 8, 2014 Members Posted February 8, 2014 C'mon, Zipper, you got to admit that Bieber or Aiken, either one, would be almost as entertaining as a closet full of conservatives with pissed off ex boyfriends. Besides I'll take cute and unqualified over fugly and unqualified every time! Quote
AdamSmith Posted May 12, 2014 Author Posted May 12, 2014 Aiken's opponent in the primary just dropped dead, mooting the recount that was likely in Clay's close-call apparent win. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/05/12/clay-aiken-primary-opponent-dies/ Quote
Guest PasadenaCA Posted May 13, 2014 Posted May 13, 2014 Aiken's opponent in the primary just dropped dead, mooting the recount that was likely in Clay's close-call apparent win. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/05/12/clay-aiken-primary-opponent-dies/ I can't wait to see the made-for-TV movie. Quote
Guest EXPAT Posted May 14, 2014 Posted May 14, 2014 Clay Aiken Wins NC Dem Congressional Primary Quote
