Linda Coleman is leaving her her job as director of the Office of State Personnel at the end of the month to spend more time on her campaign for lieutenant governor.
Coleman said she will be in and out of the office for the next few weeks, tying up loose ends. She'll use some of her accumulated leave when she's out working on the campaign.
She faces Sen. Eric Mansfield of Fayetteville in the Democratic primary.
Coleman said she talked to Gov. Bev Perdue a few weeks ago, and was told she could stay in the job as long as she kept her work and the campaign separate.
Perdue appointed Coleman, a former state House member from Knightdale, to the job in 2009.
Coleman said she decided there wasn't enough time to do her job well and campaign the way she wants to.
"I really am committed to the campaign for lieutenant governor," she said, and decided "i need to give it all that I had."
UPDATE: Meanwhile, Coleman today picked up the endorsement of the State Employees Association of N.C.
The association’s political action committee held a candidate forum last week. All seven candidates for the job were invited but only Coleman and state Rep. Dale Folwell showed up.
SEANC, Service Employees International Union Local 2008, has 55,000 members.
UPDATE2: A statement from Perdue spokesman Mark Johnson.
“Gov. Perdue is grateful to Linda Coleman for her frank and thoughtful advice and for her years of devoted service to the state and state employees. The Governor will begin the process of identifying a new director.”
