Clay Aiken may soon be asking for votes once more — but this time there's a little more at stake than just winning American Idol. According to a new report from the Washington Blade, the second-season runner-up is mulling a run for Congress in North Carolina.
The Blade claims that Aiken, 35, has consulted with political operative Betsy Conti, who worked for former Vice President Al Gore and former North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue. He is reportedly "actively considering" a bid for the seat held by GOP Rep. Renee Ellmers.
This would not be Aiken's first brush with politics. Back in 2010, the openly gay singer spoke at a Capitol Hill briefing on behalf of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) about anti-bullying legislation.
"Like many kids now in middle schools and high schools, I was bullied," the Washington Blade quotes him as saying at the time. "I was picked on, I was called gay, I was called f-g, I was called sissy — you name it. Fortunately, I was able to overcome it and live through it because of a number of friends who were supportive of me."
Aiken first rose to fame back in 2003, when he finished second (behind Ruben Studdard) on the second season of Idol. Since then, he has competed on Celebrity Apprentice and written a book, Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life.
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