by Ted Vaden, The News & Observer

Is the sexual orientation of Jim Neal relevant to his candidacy for the U.S. Senate? Yes, says The News & Observer, which disclosed Neal’s sexuality on the front page Tuesday, under the headline “Gay man’s race for Senate is a rarity.” Neal is seeking the Democratic nomination to run against Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole. So far, he is the only Democrat in the race.

The N&O reported that Neal acknowledged that he is gay in response to a question on the local Web site BlueNC.com. He would be one of the nation’s few openly gay candidates for statewide office, the story said, and, if he wins the North Carolina nomination, only the second openly gay Senate nominee of a major political party in U.S. history.

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