Against all odds, gay Senate candidate a contender

Former San Francisco resident Jim Neal has received little love from the Democratic Party during his come-from-behind bid for a U.S. Senate seat in North Carolina. Party officials refused to back the openly gay Neal, going so far as to recruit another candidate to enter the race.

Even the national gay groups have remained noncommittal, with both the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and the Human Rights Campaign opting not to endorse in the race. Yet Neal remains a contender in the race.

Several polls leading up to the May 6 primary next week showed Neal running neck and neck with challenger Kay Hagan , a state senator. Even a poll released last week, which had Hagan at 38 percent and Neal with 16 percent, bolstered Neal's campaign.

Despite Hagan's being the only candidate running television ads, 34 percent of those polled said they remained undecided. Neal insists his grassroots campaign appears to have connected with the state's Democratic voters, giving him a real shot of winning the May 6 primary next week.

Political Notebook: Against all odds, gay Senate candidate a contender
Bay Area Reporter, CA