When you answer the door for Halloween, don’t be surprised if Ken Bone shows up, or at least someone who is dressed like him.
The 34-year-old, who works for a coal-fired plant in Southern Illinois, stood out among the audience at Sunday night’s presidential debate — so much so that he seems to have sparked a fashion movement: The distinctive red Izod sweater he was wearing at Washington University in St. Louis is sold out in every size from small to extra large this afternoon on Amazon.
Before the debate, Bone had 7 Twitter followers, including two accounts opened by his grandmother, he said. By 6 p.m. ET, his @kenbone18 account had 36,300.
Bone told ABC News that he had planned to wear an olive suit to the debate, but as he got in his car on Sunday morning, his pants split down the seam. The replacement? Cargo khakis with pockets and his red sweater that he bought in a pinch when he traveled to his only nephew’s baptism a couple years ago and the shirt he brought didn’t fit him.
“I bought it at a Kohl’s in Wausau, Wisconsin,” Bone said of the red sweater.
Bone hasn’t yet been contacted by Izod, he said, but Izod has used him, in a way, to promote the sale of the sweaters.
“I’m not expecting too much, but if a local store wanted to use me, I’d be willing to do it,” Bone said. He also said he might be willing to auction off his now-famous sweater if the price were right.
On a more serious note, Bone said he wants to use his fame, however fleeting, to encourage people to get out to vote.
He said he is still undecided after Sunday’s debate and doesn’t plan on sharing who he votes for ahead of Election Day on Nov. 8.
As for those who say they want to write him in as a candidate? They’ll have to wait until the next election.
“Unfortunately, I look old because I’m fat and bald, but I’m not eligible,” Bone said. “I’m only 34.”
Darren Rovell is ESPN’s sports business reporter. Paul Blake covers business for ABC News.