It's a big day for homo-politico Jim Neal, who's running for the Democratic senatorial seat in North Carolina.

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Yesterday we introduced you to gay Senatorial candidate Jim Neal, pictured above with one of his two sons.

The conversation continues today with our editor getting into the nitty-gritty of Neal's current campaign.

Andrew Belonsky: What made you stop volunteering for or fundraising for campaigns, as you did for Kerry, and actually launch your own?

Jim Neal: Well, I've always wanted to do it. I was a little kid and wanted to be president. I don't want to be president right now, but I have always contemplated running for federal office. I think there were two things that prevented me from moving on it. One was that when I did come out in my early-30's, I thought, "Okay, that's it. A gay person can't run for public office. It's off the table". The times changed and that was no longer necessarily the prevailing wisdom, but I had custody of my two children. I was a single parent raising two young children and they came first. Their needs came first. That was the most difficult job I've ever had in my life, but it was also extraordinarily rewarding. Raising two kids with two parents is a challenge, much less one, because you have to be both dad and mom. You've got to have the maternal side and the more stereotypical father role. I think I yielded more to the maternal because I felt like my kids needed that, because they didn't have it. Even before I declared my candidacy, I spoke with both my children - my boys, they're not children anymore - and told them what it would entail, made it clear that I was the one running for office, they could be as involved or not be as involved as they wanted to be. They both said, "Go for it," but my older son threw in the caveat, "Dad, please don't ever forget the little guy."

AB: Your sexuality is not the cornerstone of your campaign, but I want to talk a little about Chuck Schumer and how things went down with your campaign announcement and what could be perceived as the cold shoulder from your Democratic peers. Do you think that reaction tacitly stressed your sexuality?

JN: Not necessarily. There was a good deal of concern - not necessarily expressed, but certainly there were folks who were part of the status quo political system that found my candidacy threatening. They felt that a gay person on the ballot would draw out social conservatives to vote against me and therefore to vote for the other candidate on the ballot. My view of that - I didn't foresee that. It didn't even cross my mind. Chalk it up to political naivete, but it didn't cross my mind because I think it's silly. It's analogous to the so-called conventional wisdom that said a black person could never be elected or a woman, much less a Roman Catholic to the White House. They were wrong then and they are wrong now.

Jim Neal hopes to beat Republican Elizabeth Dole in North Carolina's Senatorial election.

One would think the Democratic party would support such an endeavor, but Senatorial Committee leader Chuck Schumer and his peers turned a blind eye to Neal's candidacy. They even started recruiting other potential politicos, but no one took the bait. Now Neal and his colleagues in the part have reached a bit of a truce.

Neal met with DSCC officials to discuss his campaign.

“We have reached an understanding with them … they’re going to leave us alone in the primary, that they’re going to share the same information with us that they share with any other candidate and that … nobody associated with DSCC will ever make the statement that a gay person can’t win in North Carolina,” he said. “And they have assured us that if they change their mind, they’ll let us know.”

DSCC spokesperson Matt Miller said his organization was never hostile to Neal’s candidacy and that DSCC does not endorse candidates until the Democratic nominee has been selected.

The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which backs gay politicians, has yet to endorse Neal's campaign.

Jim Neal's headed to the big apple.

The homo-politico's currently running for Senate in North Carolina - and needs all the help he can get to defeat Republican nemesis Elizabeth Dole. Via Page Six:

"I am gay and the most viable gay person to ever challenge an incumbent US senator in what many consider a 'red state' - it's anything but," Neal told Page Six. Neal, who's 10 points behind Dole in a recent poll, is coming to New York for a huge fund-raiser being thrown Jan. 31 by painter Ross Bleckner in his studio. "I am going to win this damned race and shatter another glass ceiling," Neal vows.

That's one hell-bent homo!

Queer senatorial candidate Jim Neal recently released an ad reminding voters that contrary to Republican ideology, families come in all sizes, shapes and colors:

Without a doubt, raising children is the toughest job I've ever had, but without a doubt it's the most rewarding. The most important people in my life are my children. As a parent, you're no happier than your least happy child. And I have been that way my entire life and I'm that way today, even though my my kids are 20 and 22 years old.

Neal's running against Republican Elizabeth Dole in North Carolina, but has faced stiff opposition from his Democratic allies, who reportedly don't want him to run. Note the note at the 9 second mark - that's for Senatorial Campaign Committee honcho Chuck Schumer, among others…