The Nov. 3, 2026, election for U.S. Senate features candidates Shannon Bray, Roy Cooper, Michael Dublin and Michael Whatley. Thom Tillis, the incumbent, chose not to seek reelection. The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer asked all candidates in this race to complete a questionnaire to inform voters about their opinions on big issues facing voters. Whatley did not reply to the questionnaire.

Shannon W. Bray

Political party: Libertarian

Age as of Nov. 3, 2026: 54

Campaign website: https://shannonbray.us

Current occupation: Enterprise architect, cybersecurity professional, technology entrepreneur, author and candidate for U.S. Senate.

Professional experience: U.S. Navy veteran with experience in enterprise architecture, senior software engineering, cybersecurity, Microsoft cloud systems and AI governance. Founder of Lantern Protocol and author of two books on Microsoft SharePoint.

Education: Master’s degree in cybersecurity and multiple Microsoft professional certifications.

Please list any notable government or civic involvement: Disabled U.S. Navy veteran and veterans advocate; Libertarian nominee for U.S. Senate; author and public educator on government accountability, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and election integrity.

What do you see as the most important issue that you would have control over if you win, and what is your position on it?: The most important issue is restoring accountable, constitutional government. I support single-subject bills, public cost estimates, independent audits, measurable outcomes, sunset reviews, protection of civil liberties and clear explanations from lawmakers for their votes.

One of the roles of Congress is oversight. What do you believe needs to be investigated?: Congress should investigate federal AI, surveillance and automated decisions that affect liberty, benefits, employment and due process. Agencies should disclose data sources, policies, vendors, error rates, appeal procedures and required human approvals. Procurement waste and failures in veterans’ services also demand rigorous oversight.

Do you agree with the tactics currently being used by immigration officials, and if not, what would you want to require them to do differently?: No. Immigration law should be enforced, but officers should identify themselves, obtain warrants absent genuine emergencies, preserve body-camera evidence, respect access to counsel and hearings, protect families and face independent review. Secure borders and due process are compatible.

Do you think the economy is getting better or worse in North Carolina, and how?: North Carolina is growing, but the household economy is worse for many families. Housing, food, insurance, health care and energy costs are squeezing budgets; while small businesses face rising expenses. Growth is not success without affordability. We should reduce federal deficits, expand competition and remove barriers to work and enterprise.

Under Senate rules, the minority party can use the filibuster to block legislation. Should that change and how?: Keep the filibuster as a minority safeguard, but require a public talking filibuster. Senators who block a bill should remain on the floor, explain their objections and continuously maintain the votes needed to continue. End silent holds and anonymous obstruction.

Did you use AI to answer any of these questions?: Yes. I used AI as a brainstorming and editing aid. The positions, judgments and final answers are mine, and I personally reviewed and approved every response.

Roy Cooper

Political party: Democrat

Age as of Nov. 3, 2026: 69

Campaign website: roycooper.com

Current occupation: Candidate for U.S. Senate

Professional experience: North Carolina’s 75th Governor; North Carolina’s 50th Attorney General; and a former state legislator, Nash County lawyer in private practice and Sunday school teacher.

Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (B.A., J.D.)

Please list any notable government or civic involvement.: I was born in Nash County where I attended public schools and worked summers on the farm. I represented everyday people and small businesses while practicing law in Rocky Mount, where I taught Sunday school and raised three daughters with my wife, Kristin. As attorney general, I prosecuted thousands of violent criminals, kept them behind bars and protected families. As governor, I led North Carolina to be one of the nation’s fastest-growing states with more affordable health care and better-paying jobs.

What do you see as the most important issue that you would have control over if you win, and what is your position on it?: Stuff costs too much. The price of groceries, rent, utilities, child care and health care are skyrocketing because of policies supported by my opponent Michael Whatley. What’s happening in Washington is making it worse. It’s time for a change. As senator, I’ll be focused on issues that matter — supporting more good paying jobs, making health care more affordable and lowering costs for people. Seniors are worried about Social Security and Medicare — I will stand up for them and their benefits.

One of the roles of Congress is oversight. What do you believe needs to be investigated?: People deserve elected officials who are fighting for them, not lining their own pockets. My opponent led the charge to give billionaires handouts that doubled people’s health care premiums. He spent his career as a D.C. lobbyist, helping companies like Duke Energy raise rates — he holds hundreds of thousands of dollars in their stock. I support a ban on stock trading for Congress and the executive branch. I refuse to own or trade any individual stocks, regardless of whether a ban is passed.

Do you agree with the tactics currently being used by immigration officials, and if not, what would you want to require them to do differently?: This administration has done well strengthening the southern border. But instead of focusing on deporting violent criminals, they’re rounding up people because of what they look like and killing American citizens. I locked up violent criminals — maintaining trust in law enforcement was critical to that success. I support federal resources going toward fighting crime and deporting violent criminals, but my opponent championed cuts to local law enforcement that will make families less safe.

Do you think the economy is getting better or worse in North Carolina, and how?: The cost of groceries, rent, utilities and more are too high for families who are just trying to get by. Washington politicians and D.C. insiders like Michael Whatley are making it worse — from cutting affordable health care to a reckless war in Iran that has spiked prices to chaotic tariffs that have increased the cost of goods. As senator, I’ll fight to make health care more affordable, take on greedy insurance companies, work to end this foreign war and the tariffs that are driving up costs.

Under Senate rules, the minority party can use the filibuster to block legislation. Should that change and how?: The filibuster has clearly been abused by both parties and the Senate is more dysfunctional as a result, but it has also worked to stop bad legislation that would hurt the American people. If I’m elected to the Senate, I’ll do everything I can to work with both parties to break through the gridlock and deliver results for people, just like I did as governor. My opponent will do and say anything the president tells him to do and say regardless of whether it’s right for North Carolina.

Did you use AI to answer any of these questions?: No, AI was not used to answer these questions.

Michael Dublin

Political party: Green

Age as of Nov. 3, 2026: 59

Campaign website: www.dublinforsenate.com

Current occupation: Retired middle school teacher

Professional experience: Middle school language arts teacher

Education: Bachelor Middle Grades Education from N.C. State University

Please list any notable government or civic involvement.: Notable is relative. Over 40 years of activism standing against social, economic and environmental injustice.

What do you see as the most important issue that you would have control over if you win, and what is your position on it?: The budget. It’s the only real power a senator has. Everything else is a press release. Right now Burke County is about to eat a half-million dollar bill because the feds cut SNAP reimbursement. I’d restore it. I’d also cut military spending by half. The Pentagon has failed six audits in a row and nobody went to jail. That money belongs in health care and housing, not in another fighter jet.

One of the roles of Congress is oversight. What do you believe needs to be investigated?: The Pentagon first. A trillion dollars, six failed audits, zero accountability. Then the rent software. Corporate landlords all use the same algorithm and rents go up in lockstep. That’s not a market, that’s collusion with a login screen. I want subpoenas and the data. Also, the private detention contractors, because they get paid by the bed and then lobby for more beds. And the hanging deaths of Black people across the South. Families deserve answers, not dismissals.

Do you agree with the tactics currently being used by immigration officials, and if not, what would you want to require them to do differently?: No. Haitian and Syrian families came here legally. They got Temporary Protected Status after earthquakes and war. Now they’re being sent back to countries our own State Department says aren’t safe to visit. I’d require real due process. No raids on churches or schools. No separating kids from parents. Consequences when officers break the law. That’s not a radical ask. That’s the thing we already claim to believe in

Do you think the economy is getting better or worse in North Carolina, and how?: Depends who you ask. That’s the problem. If you own stock, great. If you rent in Garner, your rent went up and your check didn’t. If you farm out east, tariffs hurt you. If you’re in the mountains, Helene money still hasn’t arrived. If you work for the feds, they changed your retirement and called it a fix. The folks at the top are fine. Everyone else is told to be patient. I taught 24 years. I know what patience means.

Under Senate rules, the minority party can use the filibuster to block legislation. Should that change and how?: Yes. Both parties love it out of power and hate it in power. That tells you everything. My rule: you can’t filibuster a person’s right to see a doctor, voting rights, or civil rights. Those get a simple majority. On war, I’d keep the sixty vote threshold, because going to war should be hard. And I’d kill the secret holds. One senator shouldn’t be able to quietly freeze a bill with nobody knowing who did it.

Did you use AI to answer any of these questions?: No.

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