Meet Shannon Bray - Libertarian Party of North Carolina Candidate for US Senate

Shannon's Website

Liberty Unleashed: Shannon W. Bray's Vision for a Free and Prosperous North Carolina (Audio Book)

Liberty Unleashed: Shannon W. Bray's Vision for a Free and Prosperous North Carolina (Amazon)

Shannon's BallotPedia Page

The Political Freedom Fighters Podcast: Episode 28 (Introducing Shannon Bray)

Rage Against the War Machine Part 2 - Political Freedom Fighter's Podcast

Shannon Interview with the Tar Heel Libertarian:

Tar Heel: How has your background shaped your decision to run for the U.S. Senate?

Shannon Bray: My career has been about solving problems that have real consequences. As a Navy veteran and cybersecurity architect, I've worked on protecting critical infrastructure, securing government systems, and designing technology that people rely on every day. That experience taught me to think like an engineer instead of a politician. Before proposing a solution, you have to understand the problem, measure the risks, and evaluate whether the solution actually works.

Washington has become very good at creating programs but not very good at measuring results. I believe the Senate needs more people with real-world technical and operational experience who can ask tough questions, demand accountability, and write legislation that works in practice, not just in theory.

Tar Heel: What is different about this race?

Bray: North Carolina has changed significantly over the last decade. The fastest-growing group of voters today is unaffiliated voters. Many people don't feel fully represented by either major party. They're looking for leaders who are willing to solve problems instead of repeating partisan talking points. I believe a Libertarian message centered on individual liberty, fiscal responsibility, government transparency, and technology-driven solutions speaks to voters who are tired of politics as usual. This campaign is about giving those voters a serious alternative.

Tar Heel: How will you reach independent voters?

Bray: I start by listening instead of assuming. Most voters aren't asking whether an idea is Republican or Democratic. They're asking whether it solves the problem. When I talk about protecting privacy, improving disaster response, reducing waste, supporting veterans, or expanding economic opportunity, those issues resonate across the political spectrum. My campaign focuses on practical solutions that respect individual freedom while making government more accountable.

Tar Heel: What experiences drive your skepticism of big government?

Bray: I've spent much of my career working with large organizations, including government systems. One lesson I've learned is that organizations naturally become more complex over time unless someone intentionally simplifies them. Complexity often creates delays, higher costs, and less accountability. Government isn't different. That doesn't mean government has no role—it means government should focus on doing a few things well instead of trying to do everything. I believe taxpayers deserve transparency, measurable performance, and clear accountability for every dollar that's spent.

Tar Heel: What makes you confident you can run a credible campaign?

Bray: I've spent years building relationships across North Carolina while discussing issues that matter to voters. Technology has also changed campaigns. Candidates no longer need enormous advertising budgets to communicate directly with voters. My campaign emphasizes town halls, podcasts, social media, policy discussions, and direct engagement. Ultimately, credibility comes from being prepared, being accessible, and offering thoughtful solutions—not simply from fundraising totals.

Tar Heel: What is the proper role of the federal government?

Bray: The Constitution establishes a federal government with limited, enumerated powers. Its primary responsibilities are national defense, protecting constitutional rights, maintaining the rule of law, facilitating interstate commerce, and conducting foreign policy. Too often, Washington expands beyond those responsibilities without demonstrating better outcomes. My approach is to ask whether a problem truly requires federal action, whether it can be solved closer to the people, and whether taxpayers are receiving measurable value.

Tar Heel: How does your cybersecurity background influence your views on privacy and surveillance?

Bray: I've spent my career protecting information systems. Good cybersecurity isn't about collecting as much data as possible—it's about collecting only what's necessary, protecting it well, and holding people accountable for how it's used. I support strong judicial oversight, targeted investigations based on probable cause, and meaningful reforms that protect Americans' constitutional rights while allowing law enforcement to pursue legitimate threats.

Tar Heel: Can security and Liberty coexist?

Bray: Absolutely. In engineering, security designed into a system is stronger than security imposed after the fact. The same is true in government. We should reject the false choice between liberty and security by building policies that protect both through transparency, accountability, and constitutional safeguards.

Tar Heel: What are your views on energy policy?

Bray: North Carolina benefits from a diverse energy portfolio. My goal is affordable, reliable, and resilient energy. Government should establish fair rules, encourage innovation, modernize infrastructure, and allow competition instead of favoring particular industries. Consumers benefit when markets are competitive and innovation is allowed to flourish.

Tar Heel: How should disaster recovery improve?

Bray: Disaster response should be measured by outcomes, not announcements. Relief should reach families quickly, with transparent tracking of funds and clear accountability at every level. Modern technology allows us to monitor projects, reduce fraud, and provide the public with real-time visibility into recovery efforts."

Tar Heel: What would you do for veterans?

Bray: As a veteran, these issues are personal. I would focus on improving access to healthcare, reducing VA bureaucracy, modernizing disability claims, strengthening mental health services, and ensuring veterans and their physicians can discuss all evidence-based treatment options. We owe veterans timely care, respect, and accountability.

Tar Heel: How would you reduce government waste?

Bray: I support stronger financial audits, performance metrics for federal programs, plain-language public reporting, modern digital systems, and regular reviews to eliminate outdated programs. Government should operate with the same expectation of accountability that taxpayers face in their own lives.

Tar Heel: How would you approach infrastructure?

Bray: Infrastructure investments should be prioritized based on measurable public benefit rather than politics. Broadband, resilient transportation networks, secure utilities, and disaster-resistant infrastructure strengthen communities and economic opportunity. Every project should include transparent reporting and long-term maintenance planning.

Tar Heel: Immigration and border security?

Bray: A nation has both the right and the responsibility to secure its borders. We should enforce immigration laws fairly while modernizing legal immigration, improving visa processing, and focusing enforcement resources on violent criminals, traffickers, and national security threats. Security and respect for due process can coexist.

Tar Heel: Fiscal policy and the national debt?

Bray: Our national debt is unsustainable. Every spending proposal should answer two questions: Is it constitutional, and how will it be paid for? Long-term fiscal responsibility requires honest budgeting, prioritization, and reforms that protect future generations from mounting debt.

Tar Heel: AI, blockchain, and innovation?

Bray: America should lead the world in innovation. Government should encourage research, protect intellectual property, establish technology-neutral rules where necessary, and avoid creating unnecessary regulatory barriers. Innovation succeeds best when entrepreneurs can compete freely while consumers remain protected.

Tar Heel: Defense and foreign policy?

Bray: I support a strong national defense and robust support for our service members. At the same time, Congress must exercise meaningful oversight of military operations and intelligence activities. America should remain strong, honor its alliances, and avoid unnecessary military engagements without clear objectives and constitutional authorization.

Tar Heel: Energy and North Carolina?

Bray: Our state's energy future should emphasize reliability, affordability, resilience, and innovation. We should modernize the electrical grid, encourage competition, and support technologies that improve energy security while respecting property rights and environmental stewardship.

Tar Heel: Disaster accountability?

Bray: Every taxpayer dollar should be traceable. Recovery efforts should include measurable milestones, independent audits, transparent reporting, and consequences when agencies fail to deliver. Families affected by disasters deserve competence, not bureaucracy.

Tar Heel: Hurricane Helene and future disasters?

Bray: Federal disaster assistance should be timely, transparent, and focused on helping communities recover quickly. We should strengthen preparedness before disasters occur, coordinate effectively across agencies, and use technology to improve logistics, communications, and accountability.

Tar Heel: Education, healthcare, and opportunity?

Bray: I believe families make better decisions than distant bureaucracies. Federal policy should expand opportunity by reducing unnecessary barriers to education, encouraging healthcare innovation and competition, supporting workforce development, and creating an environment where small businesses can grow and create jobs.

Tar Heel: Criminal justice reform?

Bray: Our justice system should focus on protecting public safety while respecting constitutional rights. I support reforms that emphasize treatment for addiction, proportional sentencing, due process, and policies that allow law enforcement to focus resources on violent crime and organized trafficking.

Tar Heel: Are Libertarians spoilers?

Bray: I understand why some voters ask that question. My response is simple: elections should be about earning votes, not claiming ownership of them. Every candidate should compete by presenting ideas and earning the public's trust. If my campaign earns support, it's because voters believe those ideas best represent their values.

Tar Heel: What are your first three priorities?

Bray: First, strengthen government accountability through transparency and measurable oversight. Second, protect privacy, cybersecurity, and constitutional rights in an increasingly digital society. Third, promote economic opportunity by encouraging innovation, fiscal responsibility, resilient infrastructure, and policies that help families and small businesses succeed.

Tar Heel: What message do you want voters to remember?

Bray: I want North Carolinians to know they have a real choice. My campaign isn't built around political careers or partisan conflict—it's built around solving problems.

I believe we can have government that is transparent, fiscally responsible, technologically competent, and firmly committed to protecting individual liberty. North Carolina deserves leadership that listens, measures results, and leaves the next generation with greater freedom and greater opportunity than we inherited.