Clay Aiken Loses Election, Gets Reality Show As Consolation Prize

Singer Clay Aiken won’t be going to Congress, but he did win a reality show.

Despite his apparent high name recognition, Aiken, a Democrat, lost badly to incumbent Republican Renee Ellmers on Tuesday in the election for North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District. Congresswoman Ellmers’ margin of victory was about 17 points.

Renee Ellmers was first elected in 2010, when she upset long-time Democrat office-holder Bob Etheridge, who made headlines in May of that year for a viral video of him physically attacking an interviewer on the street.

The GOP, which as of January will have the most members in the House of Representatives since 1929, also captured two open seats in North Carolina.

Apart from politics, there is something of a track record there for Aiken in that he also finished in second place in both American Idol and The Celebrity Apprentice. Perhaps as an omen, Aiken’s campaign bus broke down on Election Day. Prior to the election, Aiken also got the Bill Maher treatment for the way he was running his campaign.

You may recall that back in May, Aiken’s primary opponent died suddenly, thereby making Aiken the winner by default. Election officials were still tabulating the ballots, with Aiken leading by a few hundred votes, when Keith Crisco sadly passed away.

A surgical nurse and a former clinical director in a medical practice, Elmers has vowed to continue her efforts in Congress to repeal Obamacare.

“We’re not going to give up on Obamacare. It’s becoming more devastating for every family in this country. There’s a better way to do it; there are alternatives,” she said.

As far as Aiken’s upcoming reality show is concerned, camera crews followed the singer since he threw his hat in the ring for Congress in February. The Hollywood Reporter has more details.

“The four-hour untitled docuseries, from Academy Award winner Simon Chinn (‘Searching for Sugar Man,’ ‘Man on Wire’) and Emmy winner Jonathan Chinn (‘American High’), will premiere in the first quarter of 2015… Via strategy meetings, debate prep, town halls, bus tours and door-to-door canvassing, the docuseries will provide an intimate look at the hope of victory and, ultimately, the disappointment of defeat.”

Aiken’s behind-the-scenes reality show will air on the Esquire network.

“The series examines what it takes to run a campaign from the perspective of a candidate who is both a newcomer to the American political scene, and also a well-known celebrity. Throughout, Aiken struggles with his desire to be seen as a viable candidate and his need to convince voters (and America) to take him seriously,” Esquire explained.

Do you think Clay Aiken’s failed bid for public office will make for interesting TV viewing?

[image credit: Judy Butler]