Broadway Vet & American Idol Alum Clay Aiken to Run for Congress

Broadway alum Clay Aiken has officially announced that he is running for Congress in North Carolina. Before the Spamalot star challenges Republican Rep. Renee Ellmers he is likely to face two other Democrats in a primary for the state’s second district.

Best known for being the 2003 American Idol runner-up to Ruben Studdard, Aiken went on to release five albums and star as Sir Robin in Spamalot on the Great White Way in 2009, winning a Broadway.com Audience Choice Award for Favorite Replacement. Other stage credits include the title role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. TV credits include Scrubs, Drop Dead Diva and 30 Rock.

Ellmers doesn’t appear too concerned about the Aiken candidacy, recently commenting: ”As we know he doesn’t always fare all that well. He was runner-up.”