For those supporters who follow Clay Aiken on-line, the excitement started early on Thursday.

The Associated Press published an article featuring Clay Aiken, Kay Hagan, and the AFL-CIO.  The Raleigh News Channel at WNCN posted the article on their site:

The Raleigh News Channel – Hagan, Aiken to speak at state AFL-CIO convention

RALEIGH, N.C. –
Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan and congressional candidate Clay Aiken are among the scheduled speakers at the annual convention of the state AFL-CIO in Raleigh.

Almost 200 delegates are expected to attend the convention, which will be held Thursday and Friday. Other speakers include national AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Tefere Gebre, Raleigh City Council member Mary Ann Baldwin and state Sen. Josh Stein.

Panel discussions include building power for workers in 2014 and growing the labor movement in the South.

Republican House Speaker Thom Tillis is challenging Hagan in the U.S. Senate race while Aiken is challenging Republican Renee Ellmers for the 2nd District congressional seat

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved..  READHERE

Very soon there were some tweets from the NC State AFL – CIO:

@clayaiken is a member of two @aflcio unions and our endorsed candidate for CD2! #ncpol #aflcionc14 #talkunion

CWA Local 3603 ‏@CWA3603 .@clayaiken checking in at the 57th Annual @NCStateAFLCIO Convention. #AFLCIONC14 #1u @AFLCIO @CWAUnion @704_SPCLC pic.twitter.com/mTZI8C95oQ

NC State AFL-CIO ‏@NCStateAFLCIO · 53s .@clayaiken: “We can win for workers if we turnout the vote!” Vote Clay for a brighter day! #ncpol #aflcionc14 pic.twitter.com/x4tUJh1Ram

~~~~~

INDY Week wrote an article about Clay’s speech at the AFL-CIO State Convention:

INDY Week – Clay Aiken pledges to stand with workers

This morning, at North Carolina’s annual state AFL-CIO convention in Raleigh, 2nd district congressional hopeful Clay Aiken said he would stand with workers.

“People in Congress do not seem to understand—what’s goodfor workers is good for everybody,” he said at the endof a 15 minute speech which received an enthusiastic responsefrom union delegates from all over the state.

The American Idol star is running against Republican incumbent Renee Ellmers for the 2nd District U.S. Congressional seat. He touted his union credentials (Aiken is a card-carrying member of the North Carolina Association of Educators) and said he knew what it was like to struggle, having watched his mother live paycheck to paycheck.

Last week, Aiken paid a visit to Tar Heel, North Carolina to meet with the workers of UFCW Local 1208 for the second time. UFCW Local 1208 won a union at the massive Smithfield Pork factory in 2008 and have recently been fighting another campaign at nearby Mountaire poultry plant.

“A lot of people in North Carolina are not being heard. People in Congress are pointing their fingers at the other side, but not presenting solutions.”

Aiken explained that he came to politics in 2003 when he realized he had a “microphone and platform” and was in a place to “speak up for people who weren’t being heard.”

Before becoming a star, Aiken worked with children with disabilities. Almost by accident, he founded the nonprofit National Inclusion Project, which works in 39 states with the purpose of integrating children with disabilities into activities with non-disabled peers.

North Carolina AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer MaryBe McMillan introduced Aiken by saying, “He saw his mother struggle. Clay knows what it’s like to live on the edge. He knows the value of a union card. He’s going to fight for workers and make sure we can raise the minimum wage.”

North Carolina’s Second District encompasses the western part of the Triangle including Cary, and parts of Fayetteville, Asheboro and Siler City. It is a tough district for a Democrat, but the GOP redistricting scheme made it even tougher, gerrymandering the district further in favor of Republicans. The Republican incumbent Renee Ellmers looks solid, and its an uphill battle for Aiken, whose primary opponent Keith Criscoe died while the counts were coming in. Still, there’s a possibility that Aiken, with his star name and folksy, populist, outsider message, could take the race.

This is a great article written by Aaron Lake Smith.  The article includes a nice picture.  You can see it at INDYWEEK

~~~~~

It is always exciting to read of all the support for Clay.  

I am looking forward to hearing about all the fun things Clay will be doing today!!