Democratic Party’s New Rising Star: Clay Aiken?

The Democratic Party is aggressively recruiting potential candidates to take on Republicans as the 2014 midterm election cycle revs into high gear. With political pressure mounting on Democrats as the Affordable Care Act’s roll-out continues to encounter roadblocks, Democrats are turning to some unlikely sources to bring name recognition and star power to the campaign trail. One such unlikely potential recruit is former American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken.

Aiken, an openly gay entertainer, reportedly met with representatives from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and prominent North Carolina Democratic representatives while discussing a potential challenge to Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC).

“Democrats believe North Carolina’s 2nd District could be winnable, as it was represented by a Democrat before redistricting made it more Republican, and Ellmers could face a primary challenge,” The Hill’s Alexandra Jaffe reported.

But Aiken, too, would need to navigate a Democratic primary in order to secure the party’s nomination to represent the Tar Heel State’s 2nd Congressional District. The fact that Aiken is well-known and could self-fund a campaign is reportedly attractive for Democratic operatives in North Carolina.

h/t The Hill

[Photo via Eric Ogden/RCA]

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