Star endorses Leutze, derides Goolsby

Strong words for a strong candidate:

Former UNCW Chancellor Jim Leutze not only understands the issues facing Southeastern North Carolina, he has been actively involved with helping to solve them. He’s accomplished what many politicians only talk about.

I usually don't get too excited about endorsements, one way or the other. But Leutze, with very little institutional support, has slowly chipped away at his opponent's 21 point polling advantage, and this non-ambiguous thumbs-up from the region's primary newspaper could make this race a toss-up.

Here's what the Star has to say about his opponent:

His opponent, Wilmington lawyer Thom Goolsby, is a sound-bite candidate whose agenda seems more about politics and power than serving the people. That doesn’t signal an improvement over the party-first mentality that has gripped the General Assembly, with Democrats shutting out Republicans (and the public) and Republican leaders firing salvos.

While Leutze was working with Republican and Democratic legislators, as well as members of both parties who served on the boards of UNCW and the UNC system board, Goolsby was an exclusionary Republican chairman who divided his own party.

If you'd like to donate to Jim's campaign (and I'm sure he could use it), you can do so right here.