Clay Aiken may have risen to fame in the early days of “American Idol” with his Southern charm and velvety voice, but he says he has a lot more to offer than entertainment, and he’s ready to prove it.

35-year old Aiken announced this week that he will seek the Democratic nomination for Congress in North Carolina, saying he believes Washington is “dysfunctional”. In his nearly 5-minute long campaign ad, he talks about being raised by a single mom after they escaped his abusive father and speaks at length about the rights afforded to military families, as well as those that have been harmed in recent years.

“I’m not a politician. I don’t ever want to be one, but I do want to help bring back — at least to my corner of North Carolina — the idea someone can go to Washington to represent all the people, whether they voted for you or not,” Aiken said.

The singer faces some tough criticism from his opponents, including Rep. Renee Ellmers, who is chairwoman of the Republican Women’s Policy Committee and currently holds the seat.

“As we know, he doesn’t always fare that well. He was runner-up,” Elmers said in a radio interview last week.

Aiken isn’t the only entertainer looking to run for a seat in government this year; former “Saturday Night Live” alum Victoria Jackson announced that she will be seeking a nomination for Williamson County Commissioner in Tennessee.

Image via YouTube