Episode 63: 2026 NC Senate District 17: Shirley Johnson (R)

Politics gets real when it touches the streets you drive, the schools your kids sit in, and the bills that show up every month. That’s why we sat down with NC Senate District 17 Republican candidate Shirley Johnson for a wide-ranging, specific conversation focused on Southern Wake County communities like Holly Springs and Apex, plus the fast-changing edge of Raleigh.

We start with why she’s running and the experiences she says prepare her to lead on day one, then move straight into public safety and the justice system. She explains why she sees enforcement and accountability as a key leverage point, and how her work around human trafficking shapes her view of victim services and stronger penalties for offenders. From there, we get practical about growth: roads, infrastructure planning, whether the state is keeping pace, and when partnering with the federal government can help close the gap without dumping costs onto local taxpayers.

Next, we tackle issues that are driving intense local debate: data centers, energy demand, rising utility rates, noise, and the bigger question of who should have authority when a project impacts a town’s quality of life. We also talk housing affordability and property taxes, including seniors feeling squeezed and working families struggling to buy into a market shaped by corporate investors. Finally, we spend time on public education, school choice, the North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship, and what “fixing public schools” looks like in concrete terms, including admin overhead, classroom conditions, teacher support, and student proficiency.

You’ll also hear key reminders for the 2026 election, including early voting dates, registration rules, and why checking your sample ballot matters. If this helps you get clearer on your vote, subscribe, share the episode with a neighbor, and leave a review so more voters can find these candidate conversations.

Shirley Johnson: Campaign Finance Report

Facebook/Instagram/TikTok

ShirleyJohnson4SD17@gmail.com

984-284-0068

Voter Information (Register, Am I Registered?, Election Information)
Voter Info (Designated Polling Places, Sample Ballots, Registration Status, Voting Jurisdiction, Verify Address and Party Affiliation)
Election Information (Absentee by Mail Voting, Early Voting, Election Day Voting)

Closest Early Voting Locations - October 15-31

WE Hunt Recreation Center-Holly Springs

Hilltop Needmore Town Park Clubhouse-Fuquay Varina

Beech Bluff County Park

Wake Tech-Southern Campus

ELECTION DAY
 Tuesday, November 3 from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM

Transcript

Welcome And Ballot Basics

Amanda Benbow Lunn 0:09

Hello, friends. Welcome back to the NC Deep Dive. I'm your host, Amanda Benbow Lunn, and this episode features one of our candidate conversations for the 2026 general election. By my best accounting, it looks like we have 18 contested races with 46 candidates in Southern Wake, specifically Holly Springs and Fuquay Varina. There are a few other races that have only one candidate running that will be on your ballot. Of course, the races on your particular ballot will vary based on your address and the specific districts your residence calls within. You can always find your jurisdictions and eventually your sample ballot by searching NC Voter Search made available by the North Carolina State Board of Elections. Once you get to the page, you'll fill out your information. It will populate with all those who share your name or information that you provided. You'll scroll until you find you, click on it, verify your name and address are correct, and then scroll down to the appropriate sections that you're looking for. Keep in mind that since there are so many races, your ballot will likely have both a front and a back. So make sure you either start at the back and then go to the front, or make sure you turn over the page when you're voting. If your time is short, you can see each episode's transcript at www.ncdeepdive.com, or you can search the episode's chapter titles for questions that most interest you. For this particular episode, we are delving into the NC Senate race for District 17. The candidates Shirley Johnson affiliated with the Republican Party, Sydney Batch, affiliated with the Democratic Party, and Patrick Bowersox affiliated with the Libertarian Party. You will have the opportunity to vote for one of these candidates on your ballot. Without further ado, my friends, let's dive in.

Introduction, Why, & Experience

Amanda Benbow Lunn 2:02

On this episode, I am pleased to be speaking with Shirley Johnson, who is running for the North Carolina Senate District 17 race. If you want to take a few moments and introduce yourself, and then you can go into why you're running for the office and what experiences have prepared for you to serve in this role.

Shirley Johnson (R) 2:20

Well, thank you so much for having me, Amanda. First of all, I appreciate it. I am excited to run for state senate here in North Carolina in District 17. I have a plethora actually of experience. I served in the Illinois State Senate on Senate staff for 10 years. Shifting from there, I became an executive director for a child advocacy center where I created a satellite to minimize the trauma to our families and the financial burden on our families. I served on the FBI's Human Trafficking Task Force, where we recovered four teens, which is an amazing feat because, as you may know, there's a very short window when teens are taken in the trafficking situation. So very proud of that work. I understand how the dynamics of the legislature work, but even more importantly, I understand how the decisions we make impact people's daily lives. I decided to run for this position because I was a little frustrated with the fact that my opponent is serving her second term and there's just not a lot of movement for us here in the district. And that may be for various different dynamics, but it just doesn't serve us well. The statement she's made is she can't get a seat at the table. Well, for us, that means that our issues aren't getting to the table. And so just out of frustration, understanding that I have a very unique skill set, I thought I can either continue to whine and be part of the problem, or I can get up and I can choose to lead so that we can move North Carolina forward.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 3:45

Excellent.

Biggest Challenge For District 17

Amanda Benbow Lunn 3:46

So what do you believe is the most important issue or challenge facing the people you would represent?

Shirley Johnson (R) 3:52

So, gosh, it's to say the most important, uh they're all important. I think public safety right now is at a very high point because I feel like everything kind of hinges on it. People are not going to want to move to an area that's not safe. People are not going to want to start businesses in an area that's not safe. People don't want their children going into school situations where the, you know, the safety is compromised. So I really believe everything kind of hinges on that public safety. So that would be first and foremost, but I do believe that there are other issues that are equally important. Our property taxes are out of control, in my opinion, in large part because we have a lot of fraud and waste in various programs that we're not addressing and that we're not dealing with. And so, do we have the money for the programs? I believe we do. I just believe that we are not evaluating them correctly to bring that into tow. So instead, we're, you know, imposing taxes to expand government. So the original question would be public safety, but again, I believe there's some other issues that are just as paramount, education as well, presenting school choice as an option. I don't believe that we get rid of public school. I believe that we bring in competition to make public schools stronger. We've seen that work very well in the business model, and I believe it can be very effective in the school model as well. It will give people and families an opportunity to have options. And options are good for families, and it's also good for the public school system. We need to get back to the place in our public school systems where education is the forerunner and not all of these other kinds of ideas that really don't prepare our children for the global nation that they're walking into when they graduate.

Public Safety

Amanda Benbow Lunn 5:39

Okay, let's go back to the public safety bit. Okay. Why do you feel that that is particularly important for Senate District 17? And where do you feel we are with public safety? Do you feel that we're very safe? Do you feel that we're unsafe? Should more funds go that way? Where are you leaning with that?

Shirley Johnson (R) 5:58

So in District 17, we have a lot of families. We have a lot of businesses within our district. And so when you talk about public safety, I think we're at a decent place in this particular district. We're at a decent place, but there's always room to strengthen that. When we see things happening in Raleigh, that's not very far from us. In fact, we have portions of Raleigh. And so you really can't just, I think, narrow it to just our district because our district's butt up against other districts. And so that's the problem. I don't think that it's necessarily a financial one. While I do believe that we need to support our law enforcement and pay them correctly and well, I don't think that it's a money issue. I think that in large part it's a judicial issue because we have judges who are releasing repeat offenders and violent offenders. Also, former Governor Roy Cooper released several thousand, you know, actually offenders who were violent back into our communities. And so you've got that dynamic. I think the legislating from the bench is causing a lot of problems. So we have the laws in place. They're good laws, but they're not being enforced at the judicial level. And so those people end up back on the streets. And so I think that's really more of the problem. We've got to fine-tune that and stop judges from legislating from the bench. There's a reason that the framers of our constitution made sure the branches were separate. It was for a check and balance system. So when we creep over into the other branches, then we we destroy that check and balance system. But what we're seeing here in North Carolina is that we're also upsetting the safety within our communities because of it. And that's where it becomes dangerous.

Judicial Checks & Balances

Amanda Benbow Lunn 7:39

Okay. And then as a senator, if you were elected, what power would you have to enforce that, to create that checks and balance?

Shirley Johnson (R) 7:49

So I think that it becomes more of a not necessarily legislating it because the legislation, the laws are there. I think we need to build stronger relationships with our judicial system and work more together with them to help them understand the impact that it's having on our communities. I think that having a system in place, where whether it's a council that we put together, but that it's it's a body of people from the community, from the judicial, from the legislature, all working together to say these are the issues that we're facing and these are the decisions that are causing unsafe concerns in our community. Any politician, pressure from the people is going to be one of the best ways to get that message over to our judges because people have to vote for them. And we shouldn't be voting for people who are are judging against us and causing our families to be unsafe, causing our, you know, our homes and our businesses to be unsafe. So I really think it's more of building some bridges there and and not kind of an us against them, but how do we come together to support our community? Okay. And I think that that's something that I can do. I'm I'm known as a bridge builder. I have a very good, you know, reputation with helping people come together and and and finding that common ground. And I believe it's there, um, but I just think we need to make it happen.

Priorities & Hopes for Accomplishment

Amanda Benbow Lunn 9:10

All right. If elected, what would you prioritize and what specifically would you hope to accomplish during your term?

Shirley Johnson (R) 9:17

So there's a lot to be done. And I realize that the best way to do this is one bite at a time. So the priority would be public safety, followed up closely with education and taxes or fiscal responsibility kind of as a together point. And the reason for that is because, again, if public safety is what everything hinges on, that's how we're gonna grow our economy, that's through businesses, that's how we're going to keep our families safe, that's how we're gonna keep our children safe in schools. And so that is going to make us attractive to those who are moving here from other states. Um, they're going to find, like, oh, that's a really safe place to live. And so those things matter to people who are coming here. But it also matters to those of us who are already here. You know, we want our children to be able to play in the backyard and not have to worry. We want them to be able to, you know, ride their bikes around the corner and not have to worry. And people may be listening and saying, well, worry about what? North Carolina is number nine in human trafficking. That is huge. Definitely not something that you want in your top 10. So, as a legislator, I understand because of my work with human trafficking, how the law can be written to support the victims of it, but also punish those who are perpetuating this issue within our community. So, definitely focusing on legislation that is going to address the real problem and not just what we think the problem is. Um, I think that's important because we have children who fall through the cracks with that. Um, a lot of people don't see child prostitution. Uh, they see it as a crime when really their children, they can't consent. So it's not a crime. They need support and wraparound services. So being able to navigate that space when creating legislation is very important. Uh, the next thing I would focus on is education. Um, and a little bit more specifically, parental rights in education. School choice should be offered as an option for parents. It shouldn't just be the public school system. They should have options whether they want to homeschool or go to charters or even private institutions. And that's why I'm a supporter of the North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship. That says to parents, you have an opportunity to take your child and place them in a school system where they can thrive. Whether safety is your issue. I've talked with constituents about this, and some people are very concerned about safety in the classroom. And so this opportunity scholarship or the school choice gives them an opportunity to move their child. Others say, I want religious values and moral values to be something that I teach and that my community teaches, whether it's my faith community or my family community, not the schools. And so, again, school choice gives them those options. There are other people who say, I just want my kids to be able to read when they graduate. And again, that option is there. Parents deserve that right in their education to be able to make decisions that are going to help them. There are other kids who say, I'm fine with the public school system, but then we still need to elevate it so that when they graduate, they have a way out. When you look at um taxes and you're talking about fiscal responsibility, those things are important because they kind of go together. Oftentimes, we're using tax and increasing those taxes as a way to either expand programs or to fill what we consider our gaps in the program. But as I've been doing my own research, I don't see a lot of evaluating of these programs. And if you're not evaluating these programs, then how are you determining true need? My slogan is evaluate first, tax later. We've got to know what our true number is, and we don't get that. The Medicaid program has paid $1.2 billion, roughly $1.2 billion, back to the state because of fraud. If we have $1.2 billion in fraud, you know what that says to me? We have money to run that program. But we have a bunch of inns with no innkeepers. So we have to be resilient about making sure that these programs are being evaluated correctly, making sure that those who are eligible for the program are on the program. And even when you talk about the Medicaid program specifically, making sure that the people that are on the program who are able-bodied to work, but just maybe lacking in some skill set, that we just give them the skill set. We need in the last in um expansion, it was 2023. During that expansion, the largest group of people who were added to the program were in the age ranges of 18 to 34. That's insane. Those people can work. Do they need work skills? Possibly. But we have in C Works, we have other programs that can help give them those skills, job readiness skills that they can get into the market. There are lots of programs that will help them not only get into the market but thrive. So we need to get them off of those roles. That's not what this program was designed for. And I feel like that is, if if I were to dig deeper, I'd see that kind of repeated in other programs as well. So I want to see the wasteful spending stop and the burden on taxpayers ease. When you ask, what is it that I would like to see accomplished? I would like to see us get back to a place of things that make common sense where we're not overtaxing people, we're still helping those neighbors in need, but we're doing it in a fiscally responsible way that's going to help our state stabilize and that we're not growing government so much. We're we're partnering with our community uh opportunities, whether it's a church or different nonprofits, to help provide some of these services so that we can get back to where we're all pitching in to help one another, but in the same way, stabilizing our community.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 15:02

Okay.

How to Ensure Infrastructure Keeps Pace with Growth

Amanda Benbow Lunn 15:03

Southern Wake is experiencing significant population growth. What should the state government be doing to ensure infrastructure keeps pace?

Shirley Johnson (R) 15:12

So one of the things I love to joke about, I moved here to North Carolina seven years ago. And I always joke, they have not stopped building since I got here. Um so I do think that we are aware that we have these population booms that are coming, and we have been working to make sure that we're trying to grow with that pace. Now, obviously, some of that becomes a financial piece. But I do believe that if we work together with the Department of Transportation, we work together with our federal partners, that we can be able to look at where we are. I do think we need to kind of revisit the rate at which people are coming, because I feel like that plan, the current plan, may be a little bit outdated with the speed and the rate at which people are coming here. But I think it's a good place to start. Um, because again, there is a financial component. So I believe we look at what we have, we evaluate the rate at which people are moving here, and then we go back and say, okay, is there is there a way we could incrementally adjust the plan to speed things up a little bit, but not so much that it's going to be that financial burden. So I do think that we're we're already headed in that right direction. We're already looking at, you know, people are are flocking here. We we are a good flocking place. And I and I do see a lot of work constantly happening. I do just think we need to revisit the plan and just make sure that the plan will scale, you know, with the rate of the influx of folks coming here. But again, I think we're we're on a good track.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 16:37

Okay, and you had said something, and I'm trying to clarify if I heard correctly. Like when you're talking about the rate of the influx, do you think that there is a way to slow that down or that we should try to slow that down? Or are you speaking specifically towards boosting the infrastructure to just keep pace with what is coming?

Shirley Johnson (R) 16:57

So I don't know, I don't know how we slow it down. I think there are a lot of things happening in other states, predominantly blue states, where people are feeling pressed and so they're moving. And I don't know that we can, you know, say, hey, you can't come here. I don't know how we effectively do that. If there is a way to slow the rate, that would be helpful. I just don't believe that because we don't have influence over other states, and what's driving people out from their state isn't just North Carolina's just the most wonderful place to live, but it is a fact that they are facing issues there that are pressing them in a way that they can no longer sustain there. And so I don't know that we can necessarily stop the boom or the rate of the boom from happening, but I do think that if we kind of look a little bit further down the road and do some projections based on what we've seen the rate be, that we can be better prepared. But again, North Carolina is an amazing place to live. The the weather is usually perfect. This this heat wave we've been having has been a little bit much. It's been a little hot. But normally, I mean, the the temperatures are great, the environment is great. There is a um there's a so slower pace than a lot of these big cities, the rat race that people are so we're attractive. People are gonna come. If you build it, they will come. We haven't stopped building. So we know they're gonna come. Let's see how we can pace ourselves and try to see if there's a way that we can even leverage federal funds to help with the pace of our projects so that we're not so overwhelmed when the folks come. But I don't think we can stop them.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 18:40

Do you feel federally that we're getting the amount that we need? Would you advocate for more? Do you feel like it's more the state's responsibility to take care of our roads? Where do you fall in those lines?

Shirley Johnson (R) 18:55

So that's that's an excellent question, Amanda. So I think there's a balance to be met. I do believe that ultimately our roads are our roads and we should be taking care of those. However, I feel that the influx that we're receiving is not a normal pace influx. And that's why I believe that there's an opportunity to partner with the federal government. There are, you know, building grants and things like that that we can partner with that will help us offset because the cost of our normal folks who are here, yeah, that's us. But this influx is coming from, you know, policies and bad politics other places, and they're coming from all over the nation. So I I do believe that there's an opportunity to partner, not necessarily that it's the federal government's responsibility, so to speak, but there's a partnership to be had there that will help us be stronger so that when people come, they're, you know, they're able to come and get set up well and not have to rely on on public doles and things like that while they make that transition. So again, our responsibility, our roads belong to us. However, because the influx that we're receiving is national, then you know, is there a way that we can partner with the federal government on some of these projects to allow us to expedite them in a way that will allow us to receive people without kind of creating a bottleneck for those of us who are already here?

Amanda Benbow Lunn 20:19

And do you feel that we are keeping pace with our infrastructure? Do you think we're behind the scale? Do you think we're ahead? Where do you see us?

Shirley Johnson (R) 20:28

I think we're behind. I don't think we're dramatically behind. Um, I think what happened was the original estimation of the population boom was just lower than what we're seeing. And so because of that, we were behind. Again, not we're not behind the eight balls, we're not that far behind. But we're behind that if we had just a little bit of help, I think it would get us to par. Okay. And then allow us to keep pace and keep scale.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 20:54

Okay.

Data Centers: Thoughts & State Role

Amanda Benbow Lunn 20:55

What role do you believe the state should play in balancing the potential economic and technological opportunities of data centers with their potential costs and community impacts? And where should the authority of the state end and local control begin?

Shirley Johnson (R) 21:12

That is an amazing question. That is something we have a data center in Apex, which is part of our district, and the folks there are very frustrated, very angry. As the state, we have a responsibility to bring in businesses to help, you know, advance our economy, but we can't do it at the peril of our people. And data centers, um, and I will be the first to say I do not know everything, all the ins and outs of data centers. I know there are fiscal concerns, there are energy concerns, our energy rates in Wake County have, I mean, they've blown off the rooftop. And in large part because of the amount of energy needed for data centers. And so I believe that there is a negotiation that we can have. With data centers. I don't say that we have to necessarily totally get rid of them. I think there is some value there. There's a couple of issues that I've heard about the data centers that constituents have voiced. And part of it is that, you know, on the front end, you get the construction jobs, but those are very limited. And when that period is over, it's over. The other jobs are so specialized and highly technical that you don't get a lot of boom in terms of employment from that. But then on the back side of it, we're getting a lot of increases because of the energy that it takes. I believe that the happy median for our constituents is that the data centers should be covering their own energy costs. That can't be something that we negotiate because we're putting this on the backs of people who are already overtaxed. So where are we going to get that revenue? And this is one of the things that we do in politics and in government. We have to be so careful not to do. We can't create something that doesn't have its own revenue source because the question becomes where's the money going to come from? Somebody's going to have to pay for it. And that's what we're finding with these data centers is that the buck is kind of being passed on our constituencies, and they can't handle it. You know, they're they're struggling to put food on the table, they're struggling to make ends meet, and now you have these exponential costs that are being placed on them from something they get no benefit from. And so we really have to renegotiate these contracts and have, I think we need to have do more public forums when data centers are being approached so that we're able to have our constituents express their concerns in the moment so that we can work with those data center owners to say, okay, here are the issues that are going to come from you being here. Here is the value that we get from you being here. And and I don't think the the the the I don't believe that bringing them here brings us the kind of relief that we need. Um there's a lot of noise complaints, there's just there's just so many nuanced issues tied to the data centers that I think not all money is good money and not all businesses are good businesses for an area. And so for North Carolina, especially for District 17, the data centers have been a problem for us, and we need to find a way to, I think, make them pay a little bit more of their fair share.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 24:23

Okay. And where do you feel the control from like the state authority ends and the local municipalities begins?

Shirley Johnson (R) 24:31

So I think the state is fine in terms of kind of setting a criteria, but I believe that should be also worked together with the municipalities. Once the structure is built, I believe it belongs to the municipalities. They should be the ones that are, you know, monitoring and weighing and making sure that those things that have been agreed upon are being met. But I do believe that the state has some onus to make sure that the negotiated, you know, contract for these things are ones that are set in quality legislation so that we can make sure that the citizens are protected. So we would help set the parameter and then the locals would help make sure that it's enforced or followed.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 25:13

Okay. And what kind of parameters are you thinking?

Shirley Johnson (R) 25:17

So parameters around, you know, how much energy they're using, where their boundaries are going to be. So are they going to be in county spaces or are they going to be actually in our towns? Because I think those two things also have a different kind of level of conversation to be had. In those towns, you're going to have, you know, smaller groups of people kind of carrying that expense. You'll have a little bit more flexibility with the county because things are so spread out and so it's not so concentrated. So I really think that's kind of what we have to look at, you know, in terms of the parameters, you know, where are these things going to be located? And then at what level is the responsibility of the energy increases on the people versus because, you know, the mindset is that the people benefit to some degree from the data centers, but the majority of the benefit I feel are on the data centers themselves. And so the majority of the financial burden should be on them. And that's something I think that we construct through legislation.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 26:18

Okay. What

Housing Affordability in Rapidly Growing Communities

Amanda Benbow Lunn 26:19

should the state do, if anything, about housing affordability in rapidly growing communities?

Shirley Johnson (R) 26:25

Housing affordability is it's a problem I've sat down with different community groups, and they've talked about how you've got seniors who have paid off their property, but they're having issues with the continuous property tax hikes in terms of being able to make those payments and things like that. I believe that housing affordability, there's some structure that should be placed on the community. I believe that the, you know, HUD has a responsibility to affordability because some of the issues with affordability are because of tax structures and things like that. So we do need to have some sort of assistance in place for families who are going through this process. But I think it's more, it's not just the onus on the state, but I think that the banking industry needs to be at that table. I believe the county board with their property taxes need to be at that table because we have to create a structure so that we don't have people losing their homes who have prepped and prepared just because the cost of taxes are blowing them out of proportion, or because of different laws and things that we're putting in place is making it out of reach. And that's not just for those who own homes, but it's also for people who are renting. You have that younger population coming out of college, you know, looking to settle down, and you have companies like BlackRock buying up things in large numbers, which is driving up the cost. So we've got to put some controls in there that big corporations are not coming in and driving up the market and driving it out of the place of affordability for young graduates and young families to obtain it. There have been some questions about bringing, you know, lower income housing into various communities. I do not support that because I think that when people purchased their homes and they selected their communities, they selected it with the conditions that they're living in in mind. And it's not fair to bring something that has the potential to lower their property value. But I do believe that there should be some assistance. And I'll be honest, I'm not sure what that looks like at this juncture. I think that's a conversation that we have with different units of government, different legislators, and we come together and kind of put our heads together to do something that will work well for everyone involved. But we definitely have to do something with it. And I think a good starting place is to stop the corporations who are purchasing the single-family homes and driving up the prices in the community is the first kind of gap stop, if you will.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 28:57

Okay. And just for clarification purposes, you had mentioned lower income. Were you specifically talking to people like closer to the poverty line of income? Are you talking more about kind of that middle income, like our teacher families, public safety families, the working families that make a modest income, but might not be able to afford like the 400,000 plus houses that se em to be mostly on the market?

Shirley Johnson (R) 29:25

Yes. So that's that's exactly what I'm talking about, that last group, where you you know they're not able to reach that market level. And again, I believe that home ownership should be something that everyone should strive for and be able to achieve. We just have to make sure that we're doing it in a way that's going to make sense and in a way that is going to be profitable for each of the communities where these properties would be. And again, not interrupting the conditions of current homeowners. So we've got our work cut out for us, but I think it's very doable. I think bringing affordability back, getting the corporations out of the mix, I think is going to help tremendously because it's going to drive those prices back down to make it more affordable for folks with modest incomes or working families. It's very difficult to have a working family in an apartment because, you know, how do your kids stretch and get the exercise they need and just be able to not make too much noise for the neighbor downstairs? So I want them to have the housing that they need, and we just have to work together to make it strengthened in a way that's going to keep the overall conditions well for everyone.

Public Education & School Choice

Amanda Benbow Lunn 30:33

Okay. What should North Carolina's priorities be regarding public education and how should that be balanced with charter and private school options?

Shirley Johnson (R) 30:42

So public school, I am a product of public schools. I love public schools. I feel like public schools, however, specifically in North Carolina, have kind of lost their way. I think they've kind of gone into a lot of kind of woke ideology and cultural ideology, and they've done it at the peril of actual education. So when we look at scores, we're not seeing the reading, writing, arithmetic scores that we need, but we see a lot of social emotional learning, which has its place, but not in lieu of education. So I believe that there is a place for public education and that we need it. It's usually within the community. So easy access for parents, dropping off children or picking them up, or they can walk to school and things like that. So there's the benefit to that. But I do believe that we need to bring in some sort of competition to help elevate our education system, our public education system, and get it back to a competitive place. It's not competitive right now. If you look at the stats with homeschoolers, homeschoolers are faring about three times higher than public school. If you look at a lot of the private schools, they're in charter schools, they're elevated. So I believe that charter schools are part of school choice to me. That may not be the official definition because a lot of times they're called public charter schools, but I really believe it's part of school choice. It's giving families another option. And I believe that private schools do the exact same thing. They give parents options. And when parents have options, they can choose their local public school, but they're not going to choose it if it doesn't compete with the other models. And so I think that having them all are important. I believe our teachers work very hard in our public schools. And oftentimes the public school system is very top-heavy in terms of administrators and the administrative pay. And then the ones who are really hustling and doing the work in the digs with the kids are the ones that are losing out. So we have to really revamp how we do our public education system. And I think it's a refocusing on teacher and teacher certification. Right now, I'm not sure if you're familiar with the teacher certification process here in North Carolina. But you remember when you're a little girl, you'd go to the park and you'd get on the jungle gym? That's kind of what it looks like. There's no direct path to licensure. Folks get their master's degrees so that they can increase, and we don't do a whole lot with helping them thrive with the extra benefits that they're bringing to us. So we really have a lot of revamping to do with the public education system, but I do believe it's salvageable. And I do believe that it's a great opportunity once we get some of these pieces in place and we can get it up to par with the private schools, with the charter schools, with even the home schools.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 33:25

What do you feel needs to be done or included in the revamping?

Shirley Johnson (R) 33:30

In the revamping, we need to pare down some of the top heaviness. And we need to take those funds and we need to reinvest them into the classrooms, whether it's into correctly and adequately paying our teachers, which I know this most recent budget does have a plan in there to raise the income for our teachers, so that's great. But I also think that we need to put into the building. Some teachers I've met with, they've talked about their conditions in their classroom where they don't have AC that works or their HVAC system is messed up. We need to get some security in the building that's going to help diminish some of the violence and the fighting that we have in the public system. A lot of families are fleeing and a lot of teachers are fleeing. And the reason is because the conditions within the school are not adequate learning environments. They're not always safe or quality learning environments. So if we can pare down some of this top heaviness, then reinvest those funds into the actual school, making sure that the classrooms are up to par, making sure that the teachers are equipped, making sure that we have the type of equipment that we need. I think those are the things that are going to help improve our school where we're seeing it on the final scores. That's going to impact scores. We like to say educational excellence, but I think we have to have a greater focus on proficiency. Because what is excellent? We've been using that term here in North Carolina for a long time, but we also have seniors who are graduating high school and can't read. I don't feel that's excellent. What I feel is that there's a lack of proficiency there. And so now that kid graduates and still can't thrive. So we need to kind of get away from these terms that feel good, like excellence, and get back to proficiency, which directly correlates with your scores and how you're growing and developing and how you're going to do once you once you do graduate. So again, I mean it's it's a lot, but I think it's doable. We we're gonna have to make some hard decisions. But aren't our children worth it?

Amanda Benbow Lunn 35:26

I guess it's a little abstract for me. When you're trying to pare down the administrative stuff, can you name particular offices that you would want to is it eliminate or what does that look like to you?

Shirley Johnson (R) 35:41

Okay. So we have a lot of superintendents throughout the state. I don't believe that we need that many s uperintendents because most schools have a principal, they have an assistant principal. Um, when you get into our high schools, you've got deans mixed in there. So I feel like in the school building, we really have what we need. All of these superintendents, I'm not really sure what they're out there doing. I think we can pare those down, keep the staff that's in the building because they are they're direct staff. They're doing direct work with the children. You know, the deans in the high schools are helping with discipline. You've got counselors, I think those are necessary. But you've got nurses. So those kinds of things are good because they're direct service. I love the direct service pieces because those are going to fuel directly to the child. But when you talk about all of this upper upper management, I just don't believe that we need that. We have school boards. I believe that every county's got a school board. I believe those principals should directly report to the school board, and they the school board can can board, they can manage those pieces that are coming in and again eliminate those extra positions that are not showing direct benefit to the children.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 36:51

Okay. And then when it comes to the school vouchers and the opportunity scholarship, I think sometimes what people have an issue with is taking money, it feels like you're taking money away from the public school. And I guess my question is if that is what we do, are we holding each entity to the same standards and regulations? Because I feel like sometimes we've almost open hold of our public school system and creating laws and regulations that they're trying to keep up with, but then that's not necessarily the same thing with the private and the charter schools. So how do we make them more of an even playing field if they're utilizing more of those public funds?

Shirley Johnson (R) 37:37

So I've heard people ask that question or kind of make that statement before, but the private schools they have to take a year-end exam. The public schools have to take a year-end exam. They really are being held to the same standards. They all have to go through the department of administration. Um, so the I guess I don't know what public school standard that they're being held to that the charter and the private schools aren't, because they have to go through the same process. They're all going through the Department of Administration. The Department of Administration will send them out. They're able to use the same tests that the public school systems use, or they're able to choose their own. But these are all still assessment tests that are, you know, well-renowned tests that can be used. They're evaluating similar skill set. So I'm not really sure where that comes from, other than a place of, you know, the kids gone and the money's gone, and so and we don't have the same standards, or maybe people just don't think they have the same standards. But to my knowledge, they do, and they go through the same process and they have to abide by those same rules. Even children who are homeschooled still have to do that year-end exam, and they don't even receive opportunity scholarship funds, but they still have to go through that same process. I believe that the dollars should follow the student.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 38:54

Okay.

Shirley Johnson (R) 38:55

They should follow the student. Those families are paying taxes, and so to me, it's almost like a double penalty. The public school systems are failing their children, so they have to move them to someplace else, but they're getting a double hit because now they're paying private school fees, but they're still paying taxes that fill into that school system. So I I believe that the dollars should follow the student. Now, someone brought this up to me. I was meeting with some teachers actually, and so we were having this conversation, and that question came up. And they said, well, sometimes kids will transfer out and those dollars go with them, and then they come back to our school mid-year and with without those funds returning. So I do believe that is a real issue. And so I believe that there are ways we can say, okay, if a child transfers, the dollars follow the child, but the child has to stay in that system until and and can't return until the next year. Because I do I do believe that does put kind of some pressure on the public school system because now you have a student that you don't have adequate funds for. But the the previous thing, I don't, I don't think that there are different differences in evaluations that take place between the private sector and the public sector, and that includes the charters. But I do believe that there is some room to evaluate the rate at which kids are transferring out of public schools and then coming back within that same year, because that is something that should be adjusted, because that is something that I don't believe the public schools should have to absorb.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 40:23

Okay, and when it comes to capitalism with private schools, they get to set their fees and how much they're charging the families to teach those students. How as a state senator can you help to not necessarily limit where they're setting their fees? But if we're giving them public funds, what is, I guess, to stop them from raising their fees and then it it's not really helping those students? Is there like a middle ground there that we can meet?

Shirley Johnson (R) 40:57

So I think that there's already a middle ground sort of built in. Okay. So opportunity scholarship has a fee that it pays and it's on a tier system. So if you're tier one, you get the full benefit. Tier two, there's a different percentage. I believe it's in quarters, um, if I remember correctly, don't hold me to it, but if I remember correctly, it's in quarters. So basically, tier one gets 100%, tier two gets, you know, three quarters, half, and then one quarter, because the system recently changed where it's open up to all incomes, but they still wanted to give favor to those who need it most. And so that was the decision that was made. So if I'm a private school and my tuition is, you know, $8,000 and I have a tier one student, the most I'm getting is $7,800. So that school will work with that family on that other $200. The parents, again, this is what school choice is all about. The parents get to decide then if it's beneficial for them to pay the extra $200, which typically most schools will allow you to do over the 10 months of school, versus just leaving them in the private school or in the public school system. So they have that option. I think it's already kind of built in because again, it goes back to the parents' choice. It also goes to what is being offered for that amount. So, for example, if you take a school like Ravencroft, they have a very high dollar tuition amount. My understanding is that they don't take opportunity scholarship because they want to continue setting their parameters, but they do some very incredible things at that school and they have opportunities that you're just not going to find at most high schools. So they're able to charge that based on what they do. The public school is kind of generic in that this is what we do, period. And there's nothing that changes the rate that we spend there. And that is a rate that we set too. So when you say that, you know, private schools are setting their own rates, the state's setting its own rate too. But again, where we hold the line is this is how much we're giving you. And the parents and the school get together to decide from that capitalist standpoint what they'd like to do with it. Okay. So it's still offset, but you know, it it may not. So for some schools, it's $7,800 and it pays the whole thing. Great. Other schools that have more, parents get to make that decision, and that's the whole benefit of the school choice.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 43:15

All right.

Security & Oversight Versus Privacy & Due Process Rights

Amanda Benbow Lunn 43:16

NC agencies and law enforcement increasingly have access to personal information through technology and governmental databases, including automated license plate readers, healthcare benefits and the records, voter registration information. Where do you believe the line should exist between legitimate government oversight, fraud prevention, public safety, and an individual's right to privacy and due process?

Shirley Johnson (R) 43:43

It's a um it's a tight wire act. We've never seen the guy on the tight wire at the circus because there is such a fine line between safety and security and that encroachment into people's personal spaces. And securing their own privacy. That's a tough one. License plates readers right now are have been in the news quite a bit, and you see the options on both sides where people are saying, Oh, my privacy is being invaded. And then you're seeing, well, this kid was kidnapped, but because of these readers, we were able to save them. It's a tough call. It really is. I do believe that we have to have some of these things because of security, but we definitely should have systems in place to make sure that the bureaucratic offices that have access to this are not using them fraudulently or are not, you know, spying on people. Because, again, part of our constitution is that balance. You want the safety and security, but not at the risk in some places of my privacy being, you know, revealed. So again, maybe proper training for the staff. You can do different types of clauses for those types of employees, almost like a security-level type of clause for them, like we have in some of our federal organizations to try to offset that. I do believe we need to have some protections in place, such as those. Are you always going to get rid of it? No, of course not. People who like to do fraudulent, sneaky stuff, they're going to do that. But we can at least put some systems in place that will help minimize that greatly through clauses that say, you know, you get jail time if you're caught doing this, or you're suspended without pay, or you're let go, and you won't be able to hold another position like this. You know, we we have to put something in place to protect the people. But I do believe that security is a it's a fine line.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 45:35

Is that something that you believe for certain things it would require like a judicial warrant, or like where are you with that?

Shirley Johnson (R) 45:42

So it's not a blanket yes for me. I think for me it's a I I feel like in some ways it it's gonna be case by case because, for example, if you take the readers for the license plates, so last couple of things I've seen on it, these kids were kidnapped, they were caught because of these readers. How long will it take to get a judicial warrant in order to follow that? And do you lose the child in between that? Um, so I I do believe that some cases should call for the judicial warrant, but I do think we would have to really sit down as a as a whether whether it's a task force or some sort of action group to see what that looks like in with real life examples and not just you know hypotheticals, because I don't know how long it takes to get a warrant or what that process is like. So it may be something that's simple. You just pick up the phone and you get it. In that case, sure. But if it's something that may take days or weeks, it depends on what's at stake on the other side of it. So I would I would need more time and more opportunity to talk with different agencies to make a better decision on where I fully stand with it.

Approach to the Responsibilities and Decision-Making Authority of this Office

Amanda Benbow Lunn 46:52

Okay. How would you approach the responsibilities and decision-making authority of Senate District 17?

Shirley Johnson (R) 46:58

So I would rely on the constitution as my go-to guide. And then it comes down to what does my district want? You know, they're electing me to be their representative, not my own representative. So it has to be for me, constitution, district, my party positions and things like that. And then what's left over is other things that I think are great that we should do. But it has to be led in that order because that's where my responsibilities and accountability lie. I'm accountable to the constitution, I'm accountable to my district, I'm accountable to my party, and I'm accountable to myself. And I see this position as stewardship. I don't see it as a job or even a mission as much as I see it as an opportunity to steward God's people and God's resources and our community. You know what I mean? I so I see it a little bit differently. And so my level of accountability is kind of in that order because I see this as someone saying, we want you to do this, and then I'm accountable to them by accepting it.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 48:05

Okay.

Balancing Taxes, Obligations, Investments, & Fiscal Responsibility

Amanda Benbow Lunn 48:06

North Carolina has to balance keeping taxes and the cost of government reasonable with paying its obligations and investing in infrastructure, roads, public safety, school, and other services that residents rely on. How do you balance that? And what does fiscal responsibility mean to you?

Shirley Johnson (R) 48:23

Fiscal responsibility, if you don't mind, I'm going to take the last part first because that is of optimal importance to me. I believe that when we are given property taxes to steward those things that you mentioned before, our roads, our schools, make sure that our emergency systems are in place, people are trusting us to make prudent decisions. They're trusting us to make honest decisions, they're trusting us to not think it's our personal slush fund. And so fiscal responsibility is of huge importance to me. And I take it very seriously. With that said, when you're talking about balancing out our priorities, I think the number one thing that we have to be is watchful of our spending. And what I mean by that is going through our programs and auditing them and making sure that people who are eligible for the benefits are the only ones receiving it. Making sure that, you know, hospitals, when you look at the Medicare system, that they're not charging us $90 for a band-aid. Like being able to monitor these programs is important to making sure that we're allocating the money properly and that we're using it properly. To just keep throwing money at these programs without ever evaluating them is not good stewardship. It's not fiscally sound. And what we found, if you look in the town of Kerry alone, which is part of our district, there was a flash mob video that they spent tons of money on. They raised our taxes, and then right after that, the auditor's report came out showing $200 million of wasteful spending from lavish dinners and first-class flights and hotel penthouses to um Ray-Bann sunglasses at $1,600 a pair because they had an event. So we have a responsibility to not treat this money like our own money, but instead treat it like the people's money and govern it accordingly. And so when we're talking about that balance, the balance has to be understanding what our true need is and then making sure that that's what is appropriated and that's what's spent. And we have to do this annually. And a lot of our agencies already have personnel that can do this. You know, we can split it out where it's tasked within the organization, and then we have someone at the state level, whether it's within the legislative department or we create a side group that does this, but there has to be that accountability. And if people know you're not checking your balances, they're liable to spin anything. So we really have to become a lot more prudent with the people's money and recognize that it is the people's money, not ours.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 50:59

Do you believe that there is some basic threshold, like a minimum threshold that we do have to pay to keep our roads up, to keep them on pace for our public schools, public safety?

Shirley Johnson (R) 51:12

I do believe there's a threshold for it. And I can't, because I don't have access to the budget, I can't see right now whether that threshold is being met or even being able to evaluate to see if that threshold needs to change. Something that was good for North Carolina in terms of a threshold five years ago is probably not sufficient today, just because of the boom and the influx that we've received. So we do need to make sure we have those thresholds in place. But again, when we understand what's going on in the programs, when we're evaluating the programs, we're able to see what's wasteful spending. We're able to get that stuff out so that we're always able to meet the thresholds. I don't believe that the thresholds are the problem. I believe that the compromise spending is the problem.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 51:57

Okay.

Alignment with Corporate Tax Plan & Constitutional Amendments to Limit Property & State Income Taxes

Amanda Benbow Lunn 51:58

And are you in alignment with the corporate taxes? I think by 2030 they're supposed to go to 0%. There's the push with the constitutional amendments to limit property taxes and state income taxes. Do you feel that that is the way to go? Do you feel like those are reasonable limits? Do you feel worried that perhaps we can't meet our obligations at those levels? Where are your thoughts there?

Shirley Johnson (R) 52:27

I definitely think it's the right direction to go. Okay. We're on a good trajectory. Will that need to be reevaluated from year to year? Possibly. I would love to say tomorrow we should just be at that level and it's going to be great. But we do have obligations out there. And we do have some situations because we have allowed spending to get a little bit out of control. We may have to look at program cuts. And again, these are tough decisions. No one ever said leadership was easy. So we may have to look at programs. I hate this term for, you know, they call them entitlement programs. No one's entitled to anything. So I don't like that term because that term makes people think that someone's supposed to do what they're not necessarily supposed to do. But these programs oftentimes have just been expanded a little willy-nilly without concern. Again, we talked earlier of a true revenue stream. So I think it's going to take us being creative to get to where we want to be. We're going to have to look at these programs. We're going to have to be able to make the hard decisions on cutting some of these programs. And sometimes we'll take Medicaid because we talked earlier about the statistic of the greatest group that has been added to that program is 18 to 34. When we look at these 18 through 34-year-olds, are they able-bodied to work? Are they just lacking skills? If that's the case, we already have systems that can give them what they need, which pulls them off of the system. So now when we cut that program, we're not harming anyone because we've bitch we've shifted them to, we've shifted them to the workforce. So again, we're going to have to be creative. We will have to, you know, make some tough decisions, but we also can't keep bleeding the taxpayers. And so I'm definitely in support of the constitutional amendments that are there. I'm definitely in support of even the corporate tax. So we want people to come here and to set up businesses and to employ our people. And so these are incentives that do that. This is a little bit different than what we talked about with the data centers, because these jobs are jobs that that continue where the data center has a, they have a bump where you've got that construction period, and then when that falls off, you know, you may retain two people versus whatever you had in in terms of the construction period. So I feel like these jobs are a little bit different in terms of that. But yeah, I think we're in a good trajectory. We're gonna have to evaluate programs and we're gonna have to, you know, make some decisions that may be tough. I think one of the keys is making sure you're keeping the public aware of what you're doing and why you're doing it and how it's gonna benefit them in the end.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 54:55

Okay,

Ideas to Generate Revenue or Cut Services

Amanda Benbow Lunn 54:56

and along those lines, do you have any ideas of different ways to generate revenue, or are you just looking at primarily cutting the services?

Shirley Johnson (R) 55:05

So I think there are ways to generate the revenue. Some of these programs, I saw this with some local groups in the state of Illinois when I was there working with the trafficking population. And so there were certain local groups that would hire the children who were coming out of that situation or the women who were coming out of that situation. And then they would also allow them to make jewelry or other things that also contributed to the revenue. So sometimes it, and that's a small case scenario, but I do believe that there are ways that we can partner with our businesses and partner with our nonprofits to help generate revenue in a different way or take on some of the burden. So when we're cutting, there are groups that get um, so for example, we'll use the social services uh group or human services. So we have people that are coming off of that program, but then they're able to be picked up by a local nonprofit through a grant. So they're coming off of the tax doll, but they're not being dropped kind of on their heads or just left out there to fall. So again, it may not be necessarily always a cutting of services, and but it may just be a shifting so that we come together as a community to do this together.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 56:21

Okay. And

Deciding What Takes Precedence

Amanda Benbow Lunn 56:22

when priorities compete or resources are limited, how would you decide what takes precedence?

Shirley Johnson (R) 56:27

For me, it's going to be what is going to impact the people the most. And I know that's a that's a tough stand because from government we're like, no, we gotta protect ourselves. Um, so I would be I would be more hesitant to do something that's going to directly harm people versus, you know, this the state's just gotta eat it. Um it would definitely be what's gonna impact people the most.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 56:53

Okay. And

Accountability: What & How

Amanda Benbow Lunn 56:54

what should voters hold you accountable for if you are elected?

Shirley Johnson (R) 56:58

So once I'm elected, people should hold me accountable for all the things that I that I've profess to do for you. You should, you should be able, I will have an open door policy. Uh, I will not only be in the building, you will see me in the community. I will make good use of our community centers, bringing you legislation, bringing you issues, making sure that your concerns haven't changed. So we will have a partnership and you will not only be able to hold me accountable, but you will have accessibility to me. So we will be able to work together, and I am excited to be held accountable. In fact, one of my greatest frustrations is that we don't hold elected officials accountable enough. So that's all I have to I have to absorb that as well. So I want you to hold me accountable to the things that I said I'm going to do for you. Hold me accountable to being fiscally conservative and responsible. Hold me accountable to making sure that education works for all of our children. Hold me accountable to making sure that parental rights are held safe and intact so that you can make the best decisions for your family. And hold me accountable on taxing and making sure that we're not always picking you up by your heels and dumping all the coins out of your pocket. We have to find ways to lead by example, and we have to find ways to be creative in and creating revenue, and we have to find ways in being creative in and streamlining our programs. And so, yeah, hold me accountable. Hold me accountable to it. I want it, I need it. I've often told constituents when I'm out on the trail, I will say to them, listen, I want you to go in there and vote for me. I need that vote. And I said, but I also need to see you afterwards because I cannot effectively represent you without you. And so I'm looking for that dialogue, I'm looking for the exchanges, I'm looking, you know, I'm fine with you saying, um, I really didn't like what you did there. And that gives me an opportunity to share the method behind what you may feel is madness. And then on the other side of that, you'll be able to say, that actually made a lot of sense. Thanks for doing that, you know? But it gives us that chance to dialogue and to stay connected.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 59:00

Okay.

Last Thoughts

Amanda Benbow Lunn 59:01

As we wrap up, is there anything we haven't discussed that you would like voters to know or anything from our conversation that you'd like to expand upon or clarify?

Shirley Johnson (R) 59:09

I'd like voters to know that I will lead with integrity. I want you to know that I will be honest and conscientious. I want you to know that I will keep your values and your perspectives in mind on every decision. I will be thinking out of the mindset of what is it that the people need? What have they conveyed to me that's important to them? And I will try to work within that parameter. Yes, I will have to compromise. I'm as great as my ideas are, they're not going to take everyone, right? So I will have to compromise, but you will know and you can take to heart that every decision will be made with you in mind. I want you to know that I'm able to lead day one. I have the experience. A lot of people come to the legislature from law or they don't come from education, some come from business. I come from the legislature. I already know how the process works. I already know how to build collaborations with people in a bipartisan manner. So I'm going to be able to represent you and represent you well. And when you don't feel I'm representing you well, I expect the phone call. I expect you knocking on the office door. I expect you coming and meeting me at that community center and holding me to task. That's what I want because I want to serve well for you. That's my number one goal to be a good legislator for you. Perfect.

Where to Learn More

Amanda Benbow Lunn 1:00:30

And for voters who want to learn more about you, your platform, your campaign endorsements and priorities, where can they go to find that information?

Shirley Johnson (R) 1:00:38

So we are set up on social media. We have a website, and you can find everything that you need within those. If you go to Shirleyjohnson4NC.com, and that's the number for. So Shirley Johnson number fournc.com. And you'll find the links to all of our social media there. You'll find our platforms and commitments to you. And you will find my phone number, and that is my personal cell phone. So when you call me, you will get me. And so we will talk and we can have those dialogues. We can meet for coffee and figure out what's concerning you. And we're gonna, you know, we're gonna be here to serve you. And we plan to be here a while. We're not, this is not a um catalyst to something else. I want to serve you. And so come to our website. Awesome.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 1:01:23

Well, thank you so much, Shirley, for taking your time.

Shirley Johnson (R) 1:01:26

Thank you. This was so much, I mean, it was so much fun. I appreciated the variety of the questions because I really feel like it's gonna give voters a better glimpse into who I am as a person, but also how I can lead for them as a legislator. So thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 1:01:42

Yes, likewise.

Closing Reflections & Voting Info

Amanda Benbow Lunn 1:01:43

Democracy is built on participation. Politics can sometimes feel distant or abstract, but the decisions made by our elected officials at the county, state, and federal levels have a profound effect on the communities we call home and the way we live our lives, from the roads we drive on and the schools our children attend to public safety, parks and recreation, housing, health care, taxes, the economy, and the many other services and amenities that make up our communities. Government plays a role in shaping both our everyday experience and our future. That makes taking the time to understand the choices on your ballot and the people asking for your vote an important part of being an engaged member of your community. Early voting for the 2026 midterm election begins October 15th and runs through October 31st. In Southern Wake County, there will be early voting locations at the Hunt Center in Holly Springs, the Hilltop Needmore Town Park Clubhouse in Fuquay Varina, Beech Bluff County Park, and Southern Wake Tech Campus close by. Election Day is November 3rd. A general reminder that you will need a valid photo ID to vote, the regular voter registration deadline is October 9th, although you may still register when you vote during the early voting period. Please note that you cannot register to vote on Election Day itself, and that that day you will absolutely have to vote at your designated precinct location to have access to your full ballot. And because there are so many races and ballot measures this year, your ballot will likely be double-sided. It can be helpful to start on the back so that you don't accidentally overlook anything. You'll vote for the races that apply to your jurisdiction along with statewide amendments and for Southern Wake County voters, local Wake County bond referenda. Voting is one of the ways we take part in the communities we share. You don't have to agree with your neighbors or even with the candidates you've heard here to recognize that our communities are shaped by the people who show up, ask questions, learn about the choices before them, and pass their ballots. So please take the time to get informed, make your voice heard, and encourage the people around you to do the same. Your vote matters. Your voice matters. And you absolutely matter, my friend. And with that, this episode of the NC Deep Dive has come to an end. Please feel free to check out this episode's show notes at ncdeepdive.com for further information and relevant links for this candidate, along with general election information. As always, if you have any topics or thoughts you'd like to share, you can find us on social media or email us at ncdeepdive at gmail.com. If you found value in this episode, I'd love for you to subscribe, rate, and share it so that others may more easily be informed. Please make sure to stay tuned for all the relevant candidate, amendment, and referenda episodes for the 2026 midterm election by visiting ncdeepdive.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, or wherever you currently listen to your podcast. Until next time, my friends, Namaste. The Love and Light in Me sees and honors the Love and Light in You.