By Colleen Jenkins
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., May 7 (Reuters) – “American Idol”
runner-up Clay Aiken held a narrow lead on Wednesday in his bid
to become the Democratic nominee for a North Carolina
congressional seat but could face a recount with a challenger
who trails by fewer than 400 votes.
Aiken won 40.83 percent of the vote in the 2nd congressional
district primary on Tuesday, putting him just ahead of former
North Carolina commerce secretary Keith Crisco’s 39.54 percent,
according to unofficial results from the state elections board.
Aiken, 35, surpassed the 40 percent of votes needed to avoid
a runoff, but North Carolina law allows for a recount when the
spread between the top two finishers is 1 percent or less.
Crisco, 71, said the election remained too close to call but
did not signal whether he would request a recount.
“This election is still very tight,” he said. “I want the
elections officials to have an opportunity to tally the votes
and provide a report on their canvass activities to allow all
the campaigns a chance to see the final numbers.”
Aiken’s campaign did not immediately comment on the results
on Wednesday.
The entertainer’s first foray into politics brought
celebrity buzz and national attention to the Democratic contest,
which pitted him against Crisco, an Asheboro businessman, and
Fayetteville counselor Toni Morris, 49.
Aiken, who taught special education in North Carolina before
his 2003 “Idol” appearance, earned respect from voters and
pundits by proving knowledgeable about policy issues. He was
outspent by Crisco, who ran four television ads compared to
Aiken’s one.
The primary vote tally, which included 19.63 percent for
Morris, could change as provisional ballots and some additional
absentee votes are counted, said state elections board spokesman
Josh Lawson.
The winner will challenge U.S. Representative Renee Ellmers,
the Republican incumbent who beat her primary opponent with
nearly 59 percent of the vote on Tuesday. Political analysts
predict a tough slog for Democrats in the conservative district
they say was redrawn to favor the Republican party.
(Editing by Scott Malone and James Dalgleish)
