US midterm elections: American Idol contestant running in North Carolina
Former American Idol runner-up, Clay Aiken, is tonight hoping to do better than second place as he runs as a Democrat
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The crucial US midterm result in North Carolina will be that of the closely fought contest between the incumbent Democrat Senator, Kay Hagan, and her GOP challenger, Thom Tillis.
But some music fans may also be keeping an ear out for the result of the Congressional race in the state’s second district. That’s because a beloved former American Idol runner-up, Clay Aiken, is tonight hoping to do better than second place as he runs as a Democrat to unseat Republican Renee Ellmers.
Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, the 35-year-old sometime special education teacher lost out narrowly in the talent show’s 2003 final, but has nonetheless gone on to success on Broadway and the Billboard charts. In 2008, he appeared on the cover of People magazine after announcing that he was gay. Now Mr Aiken is running for national office as a Democrat, in a conservative district of a state that voted narrowly for Mitt Romney in 2012.
On his way to the American Idol final, Mr Aiken picked up 12 million votes from the American public. He doesn’t need nearly that many to triumph tonight. But in what might be seen as a bad omen for the underdog candidate, his campaign bus broke down this morning as it was leaving the polling station where he had just voted. Police had to tow the vehicle off the road.
Meanwhile, North Carolina’s Senate contest is seen as a bellwether for the broader national result, with Ms Hagan clinging on for dear life against Mr Tillis, the Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives. Like most Democrat candidates across the US, Ms Hagan has sought to distance herself from a deeply unpopular President. But in the past 24 hours, her campaign released a radio ad featuring Mr Obama’s dulcet tones, advising voters: “Stand with me, President Obama, and take responsibility in moving North Carolina forward by voting for Kay Hagan.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments