( CNN ) -- Singer Clay Aiken of `` American Idol '' fame kicked off his bid for Congress with a video that went up on his website early Wednesday . Aiken is running as a Democrat in North Carolina 's second congressional district . He hopes to take on Rep. Renee Ellmers , a two term Republican , if he defeats a couple of other Democrats already in the race . In his video , Aiken tells his life story , including growing up in a home torn apart by domestic violence . He shot to fame in 2003 as the season 2 runner-up on `` American Idol . '' He 's released six albums since then , topping Billboard 's Top 200 in 2004 with his debut , `` Measure of a Man . '' He made it to Broadway in 2008 , playing the role of Sir Richard in `` Spamalot . ''
He was the runner - up on season 2 of ` ` American Idol '' His debut album went to No . 1 on Billboard 's Top 200 . He 's running as a Republican in North Carolina 's second congressional district .