'American Idol' Alum Ayla Brown Benefits From Father's Senate Win The season five semi-finalist is back in the spotlight after father Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts. 
 
 Ayla Brown didn't win "American Idol" back in season five, but she could have another shot at stardom following her father's victory Tuesday night. Scott Brown became senator-elect of Massachusetts in a special election to fill the late Senator Ted Kennedy's seat for the remainder of his term. In a shocking upset, the Republican candidate defeated Democrat Martha Coakley in the staunchly blue state of Massachusetts. 
 
 Ayla, 21, campaigned at her father's side for the duration of the election season, and some speculated that having her familiar face in public appearances and TV commercials was the state senator's equivalent of a celebrity endorsement. But judging by the number of people searching for on Ayla's name Wednesday morning (January 20), the aspiring musician is now benefitting from her dad's big win. 
 
 Brown made her way up to the top 16 in the 2006 season of "Idol" (which was eventually won by Taylor Hicks). After she failed to make it to the top 12, Ayla spoke to MTV News about how the "All-American" label she was saddled with hurt her in the end. 
 
 "I didn't think people got the chance to see who I was and my personality," she said. "It was hard to overcome that, but I gave it my all and I'm just disappointed America didn't vote for me." 
 
 Months later, she spoke to MTV again, giving advice to future auditioners. "My advice to people who are trying out for 'American Idol' is to know who you are as a person and it will get you further than you ever think it will," Brown told us in 2006. "If you go in there thinking you are someone else or trying to be another person, you won't get to the place where you really want to be." 
 
 According to her Web site, on her final "Idol" appearance she delivered a cover of Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten," but she continues to release music. With one album under her belt, the singer plans on releasing her follow-up titled Circles (her site does not list a release date). Ayla declared that she would donate portions of her election-night album sales to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. 
 
 Will Ayla Brown now join the ranks of other "Idol" alums who went on to see illustrious careers? After all, season five spawned the career of Chris Daughtry — so it's certainly possible. We've certainly seen less conventional methods of obtaining a record contract. 
 
 Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. ||||| Republican Scott Brown just won Massachusetts' Senate Deathrace™. Brown ran a killer campaign and has promised to kill Democrats' health care bill. And it's lucky his daughters didn't die of embarrassment, given what he said in his victory speech tonight. 
 
 Click to view 
 
 Here is what the newly elected Senator from Massachusetts said as his daughters looked on in horror: 
 
 And as always, I rely on Gail's love and support and that of our two lovely daughters. So i want to thank Ayla and Arianna for their help as well. And just in case anyone who's watching throughout the country they're both available. No, no no. No. Only kidding, only kidding. Only kidding, only kidding. Arianna's definitely not available. But Ayla is. 
 
 The campaign for Ted Kennedy's senate seat may have ended in disaster, but the race for Ayla Brown's heart has just begun. (I, for one, am officially declaring my candidacy. -ED) 
 
 But let's not allow Brown's ridiculous speech distract us from the real story here: Brown's nekkid Cosmo spread. Oh, also: There's going to be a whole lot of Senate Democrats crying in their beer tonight about their lost supermajority. 
 
 Some instant takeaways from Brown's victory over Attorney General Martha Coakley: 
 
 Upset: Huge. 
 
 Huge. Turnout: High. 
 
 High. Democrats: Stunned, scrambling. 
 
 Stunned, scrambling. Teabaggers: More powerful than they seem? 
 
 More powerful than they seem? Obama: "Not pleased" -Robert Gibbs. 
 
 "Not pleased" -Robert Gibbs. Health Care Bill: Possibly screwed. 
 
 Possibly screwed. Ayla Brown: Single and ready to mingle. 
 
 Single and ready to mingle. Rachel Maddow: Sad. 
 
 Maddow's face upon hearing the news = Brown's daughters' faces upon hearing his acceptance speech. 
 
 [NYT]
– That daughter Senator-elect Scott Brown embarrassed the heck out of last night was more famous than her dad until recently. Ayla Brown is also a former American Idol contestant, as well as a Boston College basketball standout. Watch clips of her time on the show, ("Up until I was 10 years old, I was truly convinced that my dad was the Elvis Presley") as well as her performance—and her dad’s now-notorious pimping—at last night’s victory party, in the gallery. And, notes MTV, dad's victory and her constant presence on his campaign isn't hurting Ayla's career, either. Her name was lighting up the search engines this morning, leading Gawker to declare, "The campaign for Ted Kennedy's senate seat may have ended in disaster, but the race for Ayla Brown's heart has just begun."