News > February 7, 2008

By Alex Osteen | Opinion editor

College Democrats hosted an informal question and answer session with U.S. Senate hopeful Jim Neal Feb. 5. Neal is running against fellow Democrat Kay Hagan for their party’s nomination while Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole will be campaigning to keep her Senate spot this year.

This is his first time running for public office.

Later he went on to tell the group that in an era of powerful lobbyist groups and when there is a disturbing amount of money involved in politics, every person still has one vote.

“Your integrity, your education and your vote can never be taken away from you,” Neal said.

After about a 15 minute opening speech, Neal opened the floor to questions.

Neal explained how he often finds it difficult to give short answers to simple questions and how his staff is in a constant struggle to keep him on schedule because of it.

The final question someone asked Neal was what he felt were the most important current issues the state needed to face, yielding the order of health care, the economy and illegal immigration.

Having brought a small contingent of student volunteers accumulated from his campaign’s travels to UNC-Chapel Hill, his undergraduate alma mater, Neal encouraged political activism on this campus.