Clay Aiken announces Congress bid

Former American Idol star Clay Aiken has confirmed he is running for Congress.

The singer announced his candidacy for the House of Representatives seat in North Carolina's second district in a video message posted on his website on Wednesday (05Feb14).

Aiken, who is a Democrat, credits his tough childhood with fuelling his desire to help people in need.

He says, "For most Americans, there are no golden tickets - at least not like the kind you see on TV. More families are struggling today than at any time in our history, and here in North Carolina, we've suffered more than our share of pain."

Aiken wants to unseat two-term Republican Congresswoman Renee Ellmers.

Rumours of a possible political run surfaced last month (Jan14) when the star met with officials at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.