American Idol alum Clay Aiken just announced he’s running for Congress in North Carolina and fans of fellow American Idol alum Ruben Studdard are upset.
Aiken made the big announcement in a video posted to his Twitter page earlier today.
“Can you believe it’s been almost 20 years since I first got to share my voice with you?” he wrote. “That’s a long time. A LOT has changed! We need powerful voices more than ever, so I’m running for Congress. And my voice is even stronger now! ;-)”
Can you believe it's been almost 20 years since I first got to share my voice with you? That's a long time. A LOT has changed!
We need powerful voices more than ever, so I'm running for Congress.
And my voice is even stronger now! 😉 #JoinTheChorushttps://t.co/aQIm8a2xuZ pic.twitter.com/xBtN2CYF30
— Clay Aiken (@clayaiken) January 10, 2022
In the video, Aiken takes aim at Rep. Madison Cawthorn, who he labels a “white nationalist”, and Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, whom he refers to as a “hateful homophobe.”
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“Because if the loudest and most hateful voices think they’re gonna speak for us, just tell ’em I’m warming up the old vocal cords,” he says.
Related: Clay Aiken expertly shades Meghan McCain on Twitter after she attacks cancer-stricken Kathy Griffin
Now, it’s only been a few hours since Aiken released the video and his candidacy is already causing a controversy on Twitter… although it’s not for anything the singer did, but rather something he didn’t do.
Many people have been mistakenly calling him an “American Idol winner” when he actually finished second place on the second season of the show back in 2003. The winner that season was Ruben Studdard.
Clay Aiken didn’t win American Idol. Ruben Studdard did…
— Matthew (@itsflawless19) January 10, 2022
Excuse me. Clay Aiken did not win "American Idol." This Ruben Studdard erasure will not stand. "Sorry 2004" is…a song. That exists. How dare you. pic.twitter.com/I2b5UeZc7S
— [kie.ran] (@danblackroyd) January 10, 2022
Actually, Clay, one of my favorites, came in 2nd on American Idol. But good for him. He’s been a political activist for a while now! Supported Amy Klobuchar in the primary.
— Janice Hough (@leftcoastbabe) January 10, 2022
First of all, he didn’t win Idol, that was Ruben Studdard.
Second, why? What is the reason. pic.twitter.com/RzeDxKZzqp
— It’s Kadey, beech ? (@kadeyobe10) January 10, 2022
Clay DID NOT win… Ruben Studdard did. Delete this pic.twitter.com/yCTYtS0Gct
— Tavion✨ (@TJayCray) January 10, 2022
What is this Ruben Studdard erasure? pic.twitter.com/H3pjTGD3RX
— Michael McGoorty (@MichaelMcGoorty) January 10, 2022
Well, not to get technical, but he came in 2nd place to winner Ruben Studdard. And I’m super dorky that I know that. But GO CLAY AIKEN!
— Marthonius J. Gleason 🇺🇸 (@MrsMLG923) January 10, 2022
Luckily, Studdard doesn’t seem too miffed over the mix up. After being off Twitter for nearly a year, he logged back into his account today to retweet Aiken’s campaign announcement.
Ruben Studdard logged into Twitter for the 1st time in a year to RT Clay Aiken’s Congress bid pic.twitter.com/xXf0sdbX5I
— Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) January 10, 2022
Local outlet CBS 17 reports that Aiken is joining a crowded Democratic primary field that already has nearly a dozen candidates, including multiple state senators and a member of the Durham County Board of Commissioners.
If elected, Aiken’s campaign says he’ll be the first openly LGBTQ member of Congress elected from the South.
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
mg10
He’ll probably get the nomination again. So sad that name recognition is the number one qualification for public office in the US and many other places.
greekboy
How can Studdard possibly get away from his exhausting schedule of appearing at the opening of every Piggly Wiggly in the US? He looks like he is paid with all you can eat tickets at their never ending buffet.
Kangol2
Why do you feel the need to body-shame Ruben Studdard, who not only did not attack Clay Aiken but in fact retweeted his announcement, in support of him? What the hell is wrong with you?
cc423
Ya know what’s sad? People like you who actively take the time to be an ass on a public forum. Your life must be tragically miserable to behave like this where others can see you.
Charlie in Charge
I mean these news outlets should do a better job with the headlines but he never actually said he was the winners.
Openminded
EXACTLY!!, I didn’t even see him imply that he won. Anybody claiming this is “Studdard erasure” is just a whiny baby who is trying to be the first to pull their race card. Very proud of Ruben for making the effort to retweet on his social. I feel the absence of any complaint from Studdard proves that no foul was made, even though there are apparently many sheeple who will follow the leader on trying to tear down anyone they can. Aiken seems like a decent person and even though I’m not of his party, I still wish him well and hope he faces an opponent equally as decent.
Kangol2
Clay Aiken didn’t say he was the American Idol winner, some of his supporters on Twitter (“Duty To Warn,” etc.) and Twitter did. It’s on them, not Clay Aiken.
Additionally, Ruben Studdard didn’t and doesn’t have an issue with Aiken’s announcement. He retweeted it. This is much ado about zilch, mean to create drama where there isn’t any.
Joshooeerr
To be fair, in terms of fame and career mileage from Idol, Aiken was the winner. He might be one of the less talented and charismatic of the Idol alumni, but he’s still done way better than the largely forgotten Studdard.
cuteguy
Clay Aiken NEVER said he was the AI winner. It’s all these trolls that are having a meltdown. The only upside is that it’s getting Clay attention. Let’s all hope he wins. But it’s N Carolina, and just south they re elected that closeted queen Lady G, so it’s a toss up
Kangol2
I hear you. But Lady G represents South Carolina, doesn’t she? North Carolina will have an open US Senate, though, since Richard “Inside Trading” Burr is stepping down.
Cam
FINALY it seems that Aiken has stopped apologizing for being gay or being a Democrat. The last time he ran he kept talking about how LGBTQ issues wouldn’t be a big part of his platform and was trying the “Republican lite” strategy, even going so far as to tell us we should give Trump a chance.
Later, after some backlash he said he was a “f*cking idiot” for suggesting that.
Glad he is finally embracing the fact that the right wingers aren’t people he should cater to and it’s ok to actually run openly as a proud LGBTQ person and a Democrat.
Chrisk
The Republicans back then still had some principles or at least they still paid lip service to it. Now a days you’d have to be absolutely crazy as a Democrat to appeal their rabid base.
v6origal97
Aiken would only be the first OPENLY gay senator from the south… looking at you Miss Graham.
Coup
News flash as someone who has a friend in Charleston SC and has been to bed with him and has pix (and this goes back… to the days when he was just a nobody state legislator up in Columbia and unknown): I can assure you the entire South Carolina Senate delegation are deeply closeted gay men…ps Tim is hung like a Clydesdale and only likes pounding skinny hung white bois…like my pal. Go figure ….
Bromancer7
JFC what would these nitwits do without all their faux outrage over literally nothing.