On May 6, we have an opportunity to select an excellent candidate for governor, Bob Orr. I have met him, spoken with him personally, and have watched him in the debates. He is the best candidate because he is trustworthy, electable, and has a concrete plan of action.

Bob Orr served 18 years as a judge in North Carolina with an impeccable record of honesty and openness. With all of the scandals going down in Raleigh over the last eight years -- destroyed e-mail, politicians in jail, DOT money mismanagement, etc. -- we need someone like Orr whom we can trust as our next governor.

He is electable. We need someone who will win the support of all voters, and Bob Orr is that person. He has been elected statewide as a judge on four different occasions. Because Democrats outnumber Republicans and unaffiliated voters in North Carolina, this means he has garnered support from folks in all three categories.

He is the only candidate who has won four statewide elections, and he can win a fifth one.

Bob Orr is a "man with a plan." Other candidates may talk in terms of sound bites, but he speaks in terms of solutions. While word restrictions prevent me from going into great detail in this letter, Bob Orr has concrete ideas for solving our state's most pressing problems, like education, mental health reform, good roads, and jobs. Voters can find out more about these plans on the Web site, www.orr2008.com.

I encourage all Republican and unaffiliated voters to join me on May 6 and vote for Bob Orr.

Neil Oakley

Burlington