Morse won last week’s Democratic primary for the N.C. House seat from District 40, despite endorsing his opponent, campaigning against himself and issuing his concession speech the day before the election. Even his wife voted for the other guy.

Still, Morse carried 55 percent of the Democratic vote in his Republican-leaning district, which includes Raleigh’s northernmost neighborhoods, Wake Forest and Rolesville.

He’ll face one-term GOP incumbent Rep. Marilyn Avila on the November ballot, whose conservative voting record Morse paints as “out-of-sync” with the district’s voters.

Avila is the former chairwoman of the Wake County Republican Party and is employed as an administrator for the John Locke Foundation.

As his party’s candidate, Morse said Wednesday he will accept no campaign contributions or endorsements from PACs or special interest groups. He said he will take contributions of $100 or less from individuals, but that he intends to run a low cost, bare bones campaign.

A consultant to the printing industry, Morse even intends to print his own campaign signs using all recycled or waste materials.

He says he only has one concern about running — that his opponent “might see the handwriting on the wall” and endorse him. “I haven’t thought up a defense for that yet,” Morse quipped.

For further developments, read this story tomorrow here or in Thursday's News & Observer.

Get $150+ in coupons in every Sunday N&O. Click here for convenient home delivery.