Hayden Rogers is joining a flurry of North Carolina congressional candidates breaking with party ranks by skipping the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte and not endorsing Barack Obama.
The Asheville Citizen-Times reports that Rogers said his "sole focus is on running for Congress."
"I will be concentrating my time and energy on reaching out to as many voters as possible," he said.
Rogers, who wants to represent District 11, will face the winner of a July 17 Republican runoff.
The other Democratic candidates taking the same approach, U.S. Reps. Mike McIntyre and Larry Kissell, are in some of the most conservative districts in the state since redistricting.
