ASHEBORO N C: American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken is back on tour but this time in a bid to win over North Carolina voters with his political chops rather than his voice, and he has less than two weeks left to do it.
According to pundits, Aiken a Democrat contesting in a Republican district, could be headed for another second-place finish.
Undeterred, by the forecasts he is spending the final stretch of the campaign traveling and telling voters in his native state why he would be an effective advocate for them in Congress.
“I can get people to pay attention,” Aiken, 35, said while addressing a town hall campaign event in Asheboro. He further added that, “It’s a benefit of where I came from and how I got here.”
The singing contest launched the gangly, red-headed special education teacher to an entertainment career that has included stints on Broadway in Monty Python’s Spamalot and on television in the reality show, The Celebrity Apprentice.
His first run for office has also drawn wide attention. He eked out a win in the Democratic primary for a chance to challenge Republican US Representative Renee Ellmers on November 4.
The runner-up on the second season of the music reality show American Idol, Aiken is keen to separate himself from his singer persona, “As soon as I get up there and start singing, they remember me as the guy who sings. They don’t remember anything else about it at all, so I’m trying not to do that.”
Aiken has raised some valid counter arguments against his opponents such as that his opponent spends too much time in Washington and puts partisan politics ahead of the needs of North Carolina’s sprawling second congressional district.
Ellmers, 50, is a former nurse who first won the seat during the Republicans’ national electoral sweep in 2010 and clinched her second term with 56 per cent of the vote in 2012 dismissed Aiken’s attacks on her record during a televised debate this month, suggesting the singer-turned-politician did not understand how Washington works.
Aiken countered these claims stating, “Congresswoman Ellmers is good at her talking points, good at calling me an entertainer, but the most embarrassing reality show right now in the country is Congress,” said Aiken.
A poll conducted by the conservative Civitas Institute in late September showed Ellmers drawing 47 per cent support compared to Aiken’s 39 per cent. Fourteen per cent were undecided, and there was a five per cent margin of error.
Ellmers also leads in fundraising and cash on hand but what should be heartening form Aiken is the fact that he has slowly started to gather momentum and has raised more than the congresswoman in the last two quarters.
Aiken recently unveiled campaign signs featuring the slogan ‘Republaiken’, which critics saw as an attempt to confuse voters. Political experts say North Carolina’s Republican-led legislature re-drew the 2nd district to favour their party.
Aiken’s campaign manager said the signs signaled his intent to represent all voters, regardless of their party affiliation.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 27th, 2014.
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