(Access Hollywood) –Will Clay Aiken get a golden ticket to Washington D.C. from the residents of North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District?
The singer/Broadway actor, who came out in 2008 and came in second on “American Idol” (losing out to Ruben Studdard in 2003), officially announced he’s running for office.
“For most Americans, there are no golden tickets,” Clay, 35, said in a YouTube video. “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.”
The single dad will face off against Rep. Renee Ellmers, who currently holds the Congressional seat.
“I’m not a politician—I don’t ever want to be one,” Clay continued in the video. “But I do want to help 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. And maybe we can play a small part in igniting that change across the rest of our country. This is why I’m running for Congress. And in the weeks and months ahead, I’ll need your help. We can all be like that friend who took my mother and me in, a friend who shelters those in their time of need, and who helps open a door to a new life and a renewed country for all of our people.”
In addition to his career performing, Clay has worked with UNICEF since 2004 as a U.S. Fund for UNICEF National Ambassador going to Uganda, Afghanistan, Somalia and Kenya and also served on President George W. Bush’s Presidential Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities in 2006.
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