By Leigh Coker Mullinax
Special to the Watauga Democrat

Jim Neal, a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, made a coffee stop in Boone last Saturday.

Neal met with residents of the High Country at Espresso News in Boone on March 15, with around 15- 20 people attending the 3 p.m. meeting, including teachers, college students, nurses, retired citizens, business owners and even Boone mayor Loretta Clawson.

Neal wanted to meet in Boone for several reasons.

“I am running to be a public servant…working for all the people of North Carolina. And all does not mean just people that just live on the I-85/I-40 corridor,” Neal said.

Neal is running what he calls a “grassroots” campaign, trying to have as many “meet and greets” as possible.

Neal said he wants to earn the trust of people of all walks of life, and at every place he has gone, both small town and larger cities, he has learned something new from the people. By the end of his campaign, he hopes to reach an excess of 70 counties.

“How can I go to Washington and represent the voices of the people of this state, if I do not go out and hear them, and that’s what I’m trying to do,” Neal said. “I want to come and hear people’s hopes, fears, and dreams.”

Read the full article at The Watauga Democrat web site