Edwards' Camp Chief, Turlington, For Obama

Barack Obama's campaign today announced the endorsement of 49 prominent supporters of John Edwards - including Ed Turlington, Edwards' former national chairman.

"Barack Obama and John Edwards share a commitment to taking on special interests and standing up for regular Americans. Along with Edwards supporters from across the state, I am honored to join Senator Obama's movement for change," Turlington said in a statement released by Obama's campaign. "As president, he will bring together Democrats, Republicans and Independents behind an agenda of change. From ending the war in Iraq to confronting the scourge of poverty to making health care affordable for every single American, Barack Obama will bring our country the change we need."

Per Obama's camp, listed below are local leaders who had previously backed Edwards for president but are tossing their support to Obama (not all are new today):

David Price, U.S. Congressman (4th Dist)
Mel Watt, U.S. Congressman (12th Dist)

G.K. Butterfield, U.S. Congressman (1st Dist)

Peggy Abrams, Attorney
Doug Abrams, Attorney
Phil Baddour, Attorney & Former NC House Majority Leader
Steven Bernholz, Attorney
Clifford Britt, Attorney
Wade Byrd, Attorney
Stephen D. Coggins, Attorney
Louise Coggins, Social Worker/Therapist
W. Thompson Comerford, Jr., Attorney

Michael Cucchiara, Business leader
Lisbeth Evans, Secretary of NC Department of Cultural Resources
Anthony Foxx, Charlotte City Councilman
Henry Frye, Former Chief Justice of North Carolina Supreme Court
Shirley Frye, Former Educator, Community Leader
Harvey B. Gantt, Former Edwards National Co-Chair, Former Charlotte mayor
Richard Gusler, Attorney
Pricey Harrison, North Carolina State Representative
Marty Hayes, Activist
James Heavner, Business leader
C. Mark Holt, Attorney
Leonard Jernigan, Attorney
Adelaide Key, Philanthropist
Eleanor Kinniard, North Carolina State Senator
Henry McKoy, Business leader
Brownie Newman, Asheville City Council member
Spencer Parris, Attorney
Roger Perry, UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees--Chairman
Jim Phillips Jr., Attorney and Chair, UNC Board of Governors
Wade Smith, Attorney & Former State Democratic Party Chair
Sallie Shuping Russell, Business leader and UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees
Roger Smith, Attorney
Bob Spearman, Attorney & Former Wake County Democratic Party Chair
Pat Spearman, Activist
Adam Stein, Attorney
Nina Szlosberg, Conservationist & Department of Transportation Board Member
Amy Tiemann, Writer
Michael Tiemann, Red Hat Executive
Kevin Trapani, President & CEO, The Redwoods Group
Tim Toben, Business leader
Ed Turlington, Attorney & Former Edwards National Chairman
Marla Turlington, Activist
Howard Twiggs, Attorney & Former State legislator
Steve Warren, Attorney
Willis P. Wichard, Author, Dean, and Former State Supreme Court Justice
Carter Worthy, Realtor
Todd Zapolski, Business leader