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Openly Gay Music Star Clay Aiken Considering Run for Congress

Former American idol runner-up Clay Aiken (left) is considering a run for a North Carolina seat in the House of Representatives.
Former American idol runner-up Clay Aiken (left) is considering a run for a North Carolina seat in the House of Representatives. | (Photo: Twitter/Showbiz Tonight)

"American Idol" runner-up and openly gay singer Clay Aiken may attempt a bid for a seat representing North Carolina in the House of Representatives this year.

Aiken, 35, who finished second to Ruben Studdard on the show's second season in 2003, may attempt to take a seat away from Republicans and current Rep. Renee Ellmers.

According to two unnamed Democratic sources that talked with The Washington Blade, Aiken has been making preliminary fundraising phone calls to test his viability as a candidate. The singer must make his decision by Feb. 28, the deadline for filing for the May 6 primary.

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Aiken would likely face off in the primary against former North Carolina Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco for a seat that an anonymous House Democratic aide described to the Blade as winnable. The article also reports that Aiken, who is already "sounding and acting like a candidate," has enlisted the help of Betsy Conti, a political strategist who worked with former North Carolina Gov. Bev Purdue and former Vice President Al Gore.

Aiken stayed in the spotlight for several years following his "Idol" success, releasing a hit album in 2003, "The Measure of Man," which sold nearly 3 million copies, and a bestselling memoir in 2004, Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life, where he spoke about the influence that his family members and faith have had in shaping his life.

In the book, Aiken also explained that he had drifted from his conservative Southern Baptist routes and that he went on to embrace more liberal values, although he claims he later returned to his routes. While never officially labeling himself as a contemporary Christian music star, he appeared on the cover of "Christian Music Planet" in 2005.

In a 2008 People Magazine article, he was described as a "born again Christian." That same article went on to reveal that Aiken was a "gay dad" and had had a child via a surrogate mother.

In addition to his music career, Aiken has also entered the political foray in a less formal way as an activist. He co-founded the National Inclusion Project to reach out to children with disabilities and worked as a UNICEF ambassador in 2004. In 2010, Aiken also joined gay activists to lobby Congress in favor of the Student Non-Discrimination Act and the Safe Schools Improvement Act, promoting LGBT rights.

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