Jim Neal Receives Endorsement of Blue America and
eQuality, Nation’s Largest LGBT Online Donor Community

4 Influential Blogs combine to support Senate candidacy

Jim Neal, candidate for U.S. Senate in North Carolina, is proud to announce the endorsement of Blue America PAC, a progressive, online community formed by four high-profile blogs: Crooks & Liars, Firedoglake, Digby’s Hullabaloo, and Down with Tyranny.

The Blue America PAC was formed on August 24, 2006 to raise money to put “Have You Had Enough” on the radio in the form of 60 second advertising spots for various Blue America candidates. Since its founding, Blue America PAC has raised over $1 million dollars for progressive candidates nationwide. Most recently, they raised over $50,000 for Donna Edwards in her upset victory over Congressman Al Wynn (D-MD) of Maryland in the Democratic Primary. Please watch Firedoglake, Crooks and Liars, Digby’s and Down With Tyranny for updates.

Jim Neal’s historic candidacy for U.S. Senate also continues to add high profile endorsements from the LGBT community across the nation.

The latest high-profile endorsement for Jim Neal’s bid to fill the seat once occupied by Jesse Helms comes from E-Quality Giving, link http://www.equalitygiving.org/Endorsed-Candidates.

eQuality Giving is the nation’s largest online LGBT donor community, supporting candidates and causes to achieve LGBT equality.

Neal has also been endorsed by Ambassador James C. Hormel. Nominated as the country’s first openly gay Ambassador by President Clinton, Hormel’s appointment to Luxembourg spanned June 1999 to December 2000. Ironically, Hormel’s appointment was opposed by then-Senator Jesse Helms.

Some of Neal’s other high profile supporters in the LGBT community include:

• Mike Nelson
• Mark Kleinschmidt

… and hundreds of other LGBT supporters from across the country who have invested their time, energy, and money, often in low-dollar contributions, to get Jim elected.

Both of these important endorsements will allow Jim Neal to gain momentum in his campaign on the way to the May 6^th primary. Continuously building a progressive network of voters and supporters is vital to securing Jim’s election to the U.S. Senate.

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The grandson of a carpenter, public school teacher and two mill workers, Jim Neal was born in Greensboro in 1956, where he attended public school. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1978. Following graduation he joined Goldman Sachs as a financial analyst. He returned to school at the University of Chicago, where he earned an MBA and worked a series of part-time jobs to pay his way through school.As an investment banker at Salomon Brothers, Neal earned a reputation for leadership and innovative strategies while advising Fortune 500 companies on how to play successful roles in a changing global economy. He also worked as a senior investment banker with E.F Hutton and Bear Stearns, serving clients that ranged from Bank of America and American Express to Lincoln National Corporation and Transamerica.For the past two decades, Neal has focused his career on information technology and healthcare companies, including serving as chief executive officer of RxMarketplace.com, a start-up firm that helped pharmacists offer patients prescription drugs at more affordable prices. Since 2000, Neal has led several private companies prior to founding The Agema Group, a financial advisory firm based in Chapel Hill.Neal has continued his active involvement in nonprofit groups and political initiatives. A member of the Board of Governors of the New School from 2002 to 2006, he also served as a national finance committee member for Wes Clark for President and the Kerry-Edwards campaigns, as well as acting as a national fundraiser for U.S. Senate candidate Erskine Bowles in 2004.

Neal has served his community as an overnight volunteer at a homeless shelter, a lay minister to mentally ill residents of an assisted-care facility, and a sponsor of a post-war Vietnamese refugee family in alliance with the International Rescue Committee.

Neal lives in Chapel Hill with the younger of his two sons, Winston. The oldest, James, is currently working in New York City.

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NOTE: Mr. Neal is available for interviews. Please contact Andrew Kain to schedule interviews or for any questions.

Andrew Kain
919-544-1136 x 225
jimnealforsenate.com