Singer and former "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken is considering a run for Congress in his home state of North Carolina, USA TODAY reported.
Reports suggest the 35-year-old Aiken, who has added pro-LGBT advocate to his resume, is looking to run as a Democrat against Republican Rep. Renee Ellmers, who has been in office since 2010 covering the state's 2nd district.
Ellmers, current chairwoman of the Republican Women's Policy Committee, won the seat against Democrat Bob Etheridge.
Though Aiken has not confirmed any speculation, we will know for certain whether he will be running or not by Feb. 28 -- the deadline to apply for the May primary ballot.
According to The Washington Blade, unnamed sources said the singer has already met with staffers from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and pollsters at Hart Research Associates to discuss the possibility further. However, none of the organizations that allegedly met with him would confirm or decline his political ambitions.
"Although it's unclear when Aiken might formally announce a decision, the source said Aiken is "actively considering" it and "sounding and acting like a candidate," the Blade reported, adding that Betsy Conti -- former chief of staff to then-Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue -- is working with Aiken.
Aiken rose to stardom in 2003 after coming in second place on "American Idol" behind winner Ruben Studdard. Since then, he created six albums and starred in "Spamalot" on Broadway from 2008 -- 2009.
In 2004, he became an ambassador for UNICEF and in 2008, he publicly announced he was gay and began actively supporting the LGBT community, specifically anti-bullying legislation.
