Friday, April 13, 2007

Biscoe, NC – Larry Kissell, the 2006 Democratic candidate for Congress in North Carolina's 8th District, will officially announce his 2008 candidacy and campaign start at county conventions across the 8th District over the next two weeks. Kissell will speak to Union, Anson and Richmond Democratic Conventions Saturday. His wife Tina will address the Cabarrus County Convention. Mecklenburg, Cumberland, Scotland, Hoke, Stanly and Montgomery Counties hold their conventions next Saturday.

"The beginning of the second quarter marks our official entry back into full campaign mode," said Kissell. "The last few months since the election, we just concentrated on thanking folks that have taken us so far. Now it's full steam ahead."

A new campaign committee has been established for the 2008 run, shifting campaign emphasis from '06 debt retirement to '08 fundraising. The new committee opened toward the end of March and reported $5,000 cash on hand for its first few days of fundraising.

"We're starting about 6 months earlier than we did in 2005, and from a much better position. From zero dollars, zero name recognition and supposedly zero chance in '06 to just 330 votes down from victory in '08," added Kissell.

Congressman Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chair from last cycle and keynote at this years Jefferson-Jackson dinner, will host a fundraiser for Kissell April 28th, wrapping up two weeks of district conventions in Raleigh. Last month, Congressman Artur Davis (D-AL), DCCC Recruitment Chair, officially endorsed Kissell for Congress at the Young Democrats convention in Greensboro.