Tag Archives: Kelly O’Donnell

Clay Aiken – Casts His Primary Ballot

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Happy Election Day!  Here in California, it is not even 8AM, but there is already so much news about Clay and his campaign for Congress.  I will post this as quickly as I can.

USA Today – Politics:  North Carolina Senate primary tests GOP loyalties

This has a short mention of Clay Aiken:

…In a key congressional race, singer Clay Aiken of American Idol fame is vying for the Democratic nomination in North Carolina’s 2nd District. Aiken is facing an uphill battle in a district that Romney carried in the 2012 presidential election with 58% of the vote.

Aiken, a political novice, is running against Keith Crisco, a former North Carolina Commerce secretary who has outraised and outspent the singer. Mental health counselor Toni Morris is also in the Democratic field.

The Democrats are hoping to unseat GOP Rep. Renee Ellmers, a Tea Party favorite elected in 2010 and chairwoman of the Republican Women’s Policy Committee. She must first get past a primary challenge from Frank Roche, who has been attacking Ellmers on immigration…

You can read the entire article at USATODAY

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ABC11 WTVD Waiting for #ClayAiken to vote in the primary this morning …

Bianca Spinosa ‏@BSpinosa · 38s Clay Aiken arriving to vote pic.

Up early to vote!

Clay Aiken ‏@ClayForNC 49s Clay just cast his ballot! #ncpol #nc02

Post by Anthony Wilson WTVD.

The Wall Street Journal – Washington Wire: Clay Aiken Is a Top Contestant in North Carolina Primary

A decade after finishing as runner-up on American Idol, singer Clay Aiken is vying for first place—this time in the Democratic primary for a House seat in North Carolina’s second district.
Mr. Aiken, 35 years old, faces a crowded field in Tuesday’s election, which pits him against the state’s former commerce secretary, Keith Crisco, and mental health counselor Toni Morris. And even if he wins, Mr. Aiken would face an uphill battle against the incumbent, Republican Rep. Renee Ellmers. Ms. Ellmers is in her second term in a district the Rothenberg Political Report rates as “safe Republican.” Republican Mitt Romney won 57% of the district in 2012.

The Idol star has touted a poll conducted by his own campaign that shows him with a 20-point lead over the other two candidates, but no independent polling has verified those results. Both the Aiken and Crisco campaigns have flooded the race with cash in recent weeks, but as of April 16, Mr. Aiken had about $72,000 more left to spend than his opponent, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Ms. Morris hasn’t filed recent reports with the FEC.

In a five-minute video launching his campaign in February, Mr. Aiken vowed to pump up job creation and improve the economy. He shied away from discussing his celebrity—referring to it only as a “golden ticket”—and instead discussed his difficult early childhood, in which his mother was a victim of domestic abuse and his family struggled with money.

The Clay Aiken of the campaign trail has adopted a more mature, conservative appearance than in his Idol days. But one vestige of his stardom remains: His hair is always perfectly gelled.

The modern-day Cinderella story of an American Idol runner-up turned congressman may seem like a long shot—particularly given the district’s conservative tilt—but Cook Political Report analyst David Wasserman warned critics not to write Mr. Aiken off. In an interview last month, “Aiken took us by surprise, quickly washing away any notion he’s another superficial, stage-managed Hollywood star dabbling into politics as a new hobby,” Mr. Wasserman wrote. “Aiken was not only polished and poised, but relaxed, free-wheeling, persuasive, and politically realistic.”

Ms. Ellmers, for her part, hasn’t appeared concerned about Mr. Aiken’s potential challenge. In an interview with WMAL radio following the Aiken campaign’s launch, she speculated that the singer had tired of his entertainment career. “As we know he doesn’t always fare all that well,” she said. “He was a runner up.”

The congresswoman also faces a primary challenger: radio host Frank Roche, a favorite of tea-party Republicans. She was re-elected in 2012 with 56% of the vote, but has since been criticized for advocating some immigration overhaul efforts.

You can visit the article at WALLSTREET

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@WashBlade Vote for @clayaiken for a fresh voice for #NorthCarolina http://t.co/3pl7deeGul 
http://t.co/FMfrs3YdnH #nc02

I know this is not very pretty, but there is a lot of info here…pictures, videos and wonderful articles.

I will update again when I get more information!

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