Following hints last month, American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken has announced a run for United States Congress to represent North Carolina.

Aiken made the announcement Wednesday morning via a well-produced video on YouTube in which we see his childhood home in North Carolina where he had a tough upbringing due to his unreliable father.

“If you only know the part of my story that begins with a golden ticket [referring to his time on the Fox singing competition American Idol], something that still seems unbelievable to me even to this day, you might wonder what would qualify me to run,” he says.

“I’m not a politician,” he admits. “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 that someone can go to Washington to represent all the people, whether they voted for you or not.”

Aiken says that his opponent, 2nd congressional district member Renee Ellmers, went to Washington with good intentions but has ultimately been influenced by the people of Washington and lost sight of who she’s representing.

Watch his campaign announcement below:

Aiken is 36 and a registered democrat. He is openly gay and has a child. If he stays serious about this campaign, Aiken will have an uphill battle when you consider his lack of political background and the fact that he’s only known for his time on Idol.

Nonetheless, it’s admirable to see him fighting for what he believes is best for his home state.