Clay Aiken wins Democratic congressional nomination in North Carolina

Clay Aiken, famous American Idol runner-up and one of the show's top 10 earners, has just won the Democratic nomination for Congress in his home state of North Carolina.

Aiken's main opponent, 71-year-old Keith Crisco, was found dead in his home yesterday. Aiken and Crisco had been within a few hundred votes of each other after last week's election. But even before his death, Crisco's campaign manager Christine Botta said that Crisco had plans to concede to Aiken.

This win is a big step for Aiken's political career, though he still faces a tough challenge in trying to topple Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) in a GOP-leaning district come November.

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