Back in 2003, Clay Aiken competed in the second season of American Idol, finishing second on the show. His appearances on that show made him very popular with the public, wining him the title of most popular reality TV star in a TV Guide poll. Since then he has appeared on TV many times, appeared on the Broadway stage, conducted several successful concert tours, and sold several million albums. In general, he has had a pretty lucrative entertainment career.
Now word has it that he is considering using his popularity to enter a new venue -- politics. Democratic sources say Aiken is "actively considering" a run for the 2nd Congressional District in North Carolina. Although he has not yet announced he is running, he has met with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He has also talked with both a well-known political strategist and a polling organization.
That congressional district (which is in Raleigh) is currently held by Republican Renee Ellmers, but until 2010 it had been in Democratic hands. Many think with a healthy Democratic turnout in 2014, this is a district that could be flipped. A popular candidate like Aiken could just be what is needed to accomplish that.