The 56-year-old Chapel Hill resident signed up last week as a volunteer for John Edwards' presidential campaign.

So when she showed up for work Wednesday she was "extremely surprised" by the news that Edwards was dropping out.

"I felt very disheartened," she said. "I think America has lost a great opportunity for an intelligent leader who will follow through whatever. The media made it a two-person race."

With Edwards out, Thorp said, she will probably vote for Barack Obama.

Anne Hakenewerth volunteered two months ago and was going to get her first chance to work for the campaign this week. "I fully expected to be on the phone Thursday," Hakenewerth said.

The mood was somber Wednesday at the Edwards campaign headquarters at Southern Village in Chapel Hill.

The phones rang constantly throughout the morning as voters expressed their sympathies and asked questions. Volunteers dropped by throughout the day to drop off flowers, letters and even a donkey made of moss.

Shop owners in Southern Village said the Edwards headquarters would be missed. Sandy Dole, owner of La Vita Dolce, a coffee shop, said the campaign staffers were frequent customers.

"I hate to see them go, I just can't say it enough," Dole said. "They're really a nice group of people."

About 12:30 p.m., campaign officials cleared out the headquarters so staffers could watch Edwards' speech from New Orleans. After the speech, the headquarters shut its doors.