Clay Aiken For Congress?

The Washington Blade reports that American Idol contestant and openly gay pop singer Clay Aiken is considering running for the U.S. House. Via Chris Johnson:

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the 35-year-old Raleigh native has taken initial steps for a run, including consulting with political operatives in Washington, D.C., about a bid for the seat. One Democratic source said Aiken made phone calls to gauge support, talked to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and has met with figures in Raleigh, N.C., about a potential bid. 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.” To help explore a run, the source said Aiken has been working with Betsy Conti, a Raleigh-based political strategist who’s worked for former North Carolina Gov. Bev Purdue and Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore in addition to serving as Maryland’s deputy labor secretary in the Glendening administration.

Aiken came out in 2008. He has scored five Billboard top five albums, including his #1 full-length debut, 2003's Measure Of A Man. That album yielded the #1 pop single, This Is The Night.  Two years ago I attended the Family Equality Council's annual gala here in NYC, which was held on the day of the vote on North Carolina's Amendment One. Aiken performed that night and as most of the room anxiously checked their phones for the results of the vote, he spoke passionately and eloquently about the plight of LGBT families in his home state. I came away rather impressed.