Salisbury Post
By Steve Huffman

Jim Neal was supposed to have been at the Salisbury Post for an interview at 6 p.m. Thursday, but he arrived almost 40 minutes late.

And so Neal, a candidate for the U.S. Senate, did what any self-respecting parent would do:

He blamed his tardiness on his son, Winston.

“Tonight, my son is — in political speak — my advance man,” Neal said. “And so it’s his job to get me to my appointments on time. I told him, ‘This is your fault.’ ”

And then Neal laughed heartily, making it clear that if Winston was in fact to blame, the punishment wasn’t likely to be severe.

Neal, a Chapel Hill resident, is one of two Democrats to have filed to challenge Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole for her U.S. Senate seat. Kay Hagan, a state senator from Greensboro, is the other.

Neal, 51, is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who earned a master’s degree from the University of Chicago. He’s an investment banker.

In addition to his son Winston, 20, Neal is also the father of 22-year-old James. Neal was married in 1979 and divorced in the 1980s. According to members of his campaign staff, he raised the boys largely on his own.

Neal is articulate, funny and smart. He’s also gay, a revelation that’s made his bid for the Senate newsworthy in places where his candidacy might otherwise have gone all but unnoticed.

Read the full article at the Salisbury Post