Former “American Idol” contestant Clay Aiken from Raleigh, N.C. is officially running as a Democratic Candidate for Congress. This declaration has caused conflict, especially between Aiken and current North Carolina congresswoman Renee Ellmers, Republican, who will be defending her current position in the same district.
Ellmer has stated that Aiken’s loss on “American Idol” demonstrates that he is incapable of winning the election. A consultant for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Gary Pearce, disagrees with Ellmers’ criticism and believes Aiken is an admirable candidate. Ellmers has held her position in Congress since 2011 and currently has a better chance of winning based on voting history due to the district’s more conservative turnout.
According to an interview with her on WMAL radio, Ellmers said, “As we know, he didn’t really fare all that well [on “American Idol”]. He was runner-up… so I guess the next step is Congress. You know, we don’t have a very high approval rating, so I guess the bar’s been lowered for him.”
Though Ellmers has been denouncing Aiken’s candidacy, she too has been critiqued on her views. Frank Roche, a conservative radio talk show host and Republican candidate, claims that Ellmers may not be conservative enough to be re-elected. On the other hand, Pearce has exalted Aiken and describes, “He struck me as a very smart and serious person who had a sincere interest in representing his district.” This sincerity will be key for Aiken as he will be challenging four other competitors Ellmers, Roche and two other Democrats, Toni Morris and Keith Crisco. The main issues Aiken is expected to face are getting votes from the mainly conservative district voters as a gay candidate.
“People care about jobs, they care about the economy, they care about being able to pay for college. That [my sexual preference] is an issue that doesn’t affect many people in this district or this state,” Aiken explains.
Recently, Ellmers has voted for decreasing NC military spending. Aiken claims that her party leaders encouraged her to make this decision and believes that “this is what is wrong with Washington.” Many military families are stationed in Fort Bragg, which is a section of the candidates’ district.
Although Aiken has been outspoken for being interested in attaining a political position in the past, he has been an activist in different communities. His rise to fame resulted from becoming the runner up on “American Idol” and has since then starred on Broadway. Aiken had some involvement in politics when he spoke against the North Carolina amendment that banned gay marriage.
An interest in this legislation came from when he was bullied in middle school and has strived to prevent other children from going through the same ordeals. He has also helped children with disabilities by co-founding the National Inclusion Project and became a national ambassador for UNICEF in 2004.
Aiken’s campaign is focusing on being “a voice for the powerless.” He believes that Washington is, at best, “dysfunctional.” His goals are to focus on education, jobs and the economy, but has not stated any plans.
Grace Sideris, senior, said, “ People in politics, like senators and congressmen, a lot of times focus on businesses. We need more people representing normal citizens, I mean, our country is a democracy.”
