Jim Neal

James Weatherly Neal, Jr. was a Democratic candidate in the 2008 congressional elections for the U.S. Senate for North Carolina (map). On May 6, 2008 he was defeated by Kay Hagan in the Democratic primary.

Early Life and Education
James Weatherly Neal, Jr., was born November 6, 1956, in Greensboro, N.C., to James Sr. and Mildred Hartzoge Neal. His father was an entrepreneur; his mother, a homemaker.

Neal "attended Page High School in Greensboro until his sophomore year, when his family moved to South Carolina. He graduated from the Coastal Academy in Myrtle Beach, S.C., in 1975. He then attended UNC-Chapel Hill, graduating with a bachelor of science in business administration in 1978. He later attended the University of Chicago, graduating with a master's of business administration in 1983."

Family
Neal is divorced. He has two sons, Winston and James.

Professional Career
"After earning his undergraduate degree, Neal joined Goldman Sachs in New York as a financial analyst.

"He then worked part-time jobs while studying for his MBA.

"After graduating from the University of Chicago, he became an investment banker at Salomon Brothers. He later worked for E.F. Hutton and Bear Stearns, serving such clients as Bank of America and American Express.

"Since the late 1980s, he has worked for information technology and healthcare companies, including a stint as CEO of RxMarketplace.com, a start-up firm that offered prescription drugs.

"From 2000 to 2006, he led several private companies.

"From 2002 to 2006, he served on the Board of Governors of The New School in New York City.

"In 2006, he moved to Chapel Hill and started The Agema Group, a boutique financial services advisory company. The name, pronounced a-JEE-mah, comes from royal bodyguards in ancient Greece.

"He has taken a leave of absence from work to run for office."

Political Career
"Neal volunteered for the presidential campaigns of Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.

"In 2004, he worked as a fundraiser for Erskine Bowles' unsuccessful Senate campaign.

I"n 2006, he took a year off from work to be the full-time fundraiser for retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark's presidential campaign. When Clark dropped out of the race, Neal went to work for U.S. Sen. John Kerry's campaign.

"In October of 2007, Neal announced he would run for the Democratic nomination to face off against U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole.

"He planned to campaign against the Iraq war and for the expansion of the SCHIP health insurance program for children.

"He could face state Sen. Kay Hagan of Greensboro or state Rep. Grier Martin of Raleigh in the primary."

2008 elections
On May 6, 2008 Neal was defeated by Kay Hagan in the Democratic primary.

More background data
Contact Information

Website: http://www.jimnealforsenate.com Weblog: http://jimnealforsenate.com/blog/

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 697 Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Phone

Phone: 919 249-5985 Toll-Free: 866 374-3462 Fax: 919 869-2801

E-Mail

action AT jimnealforsenate.com

MySpace

External resources

 * About Jim Neal, JimNealforSenate.com.
 * 2008 Race Tracker page on North Carolina’s Senatorial Race
 * Jim Neal for Senate - North Carolina, ActBlue.

External articles

 * Kirk Ross, "Rumors, rumors, rumors," News & Observer, September 27, 2007.
 * Pam Spaulding, "NC: Out gay Dem runs to unseat Elizabeth Dole in U.S. Senate," Pam's House Blend Blog, October 20, 2007.
 * Pam Spaulding, "DSCC: Where's Jim Neal?" BlueNC Blog, October 23, 2007.