RALEIGH (July 8, 2024)—Brian Lewis and James Bledsoe became the latest additions to the ranks of the record-breaking number of LPNC candidates running in Wake County last week.

Lewis filed on Monday for Wake County Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor. His priorities: 

• Safeguard Wake’s water resources
• Facilitate urban farming initiatives
• Education & outreach
• Improve coordination with other counties
• Hemp and cannabis deregulation/legalization
• Protecting wildlife habitats

Lewis lives in unincorporated Wake County where he and his family run a small-scale farm. Brian has previously served as a Supervisor for the Broward (Florida) Soil and Water Conservation District and is a veteran of the US Navy. For the past 22 years he has worked full time for a large telecommunications company and has also actively volunteered for Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, as well as the Wake County and North Carolina Libertarian Parties.

His 2022 campaign for S&W set an all-time record for the most votes ever for a Libertarian candidate in Wake County—52,322—although those were not sufficient for him to win election.

“A key tenant of my faith is Tikkun Olam—‘To Heal the World,’” stated Lewis. “I was able to do considerable good as Water & Soil District Supervisor in Florida, and I feel obligated to offer to do the same here in North Carolina.”

Bledsoe filed on Friday for a Raleigh City Council at-large seat. His priorities:

• Donating 50-100% of council pay to high schoolers in Raleigh that go into the trades or STEM in NC
• Financial reform, a balanced budget, and drastically reducing government expenditures
• First Responder reform and increasing pay for city employees/first responders without raising taxes
• Deregulation of residential zoning and encouragement of building condos and housing over apartments
• Incentivizing more Veterans to join city government and to get more involved in Raleigh

Bledsoe lives in SE Raleigh with his fiancée, Siberan cat, and Rhodesian Ridgeback. He is currently in his tenth year as a state employee. James is also a combat veteran with 19 years in the Army between Active Duty & the Reserve. He holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice and is pursuing Cyber Security classes at Wake Tech.

Bledsoe ran for an at-large RCC seat in 2022, gaining 12% of the vote; the two winners in that seven-candidate race garnered 23% and 19% respectively, so while there is ground to make up, the gap is not that big.

Bledsoe is registered unaffiliated but is a member of the LPNC and chair of the NC Veterans Party. He has also been endorsed by the NC Forward Party.

“As the only combat veteran running for Raleigh City Council in 2024, I bring a unique perspective to city government,” Bledsoe stated. “I am running to reverse the trend of an increased cost of living, housing shortage, and lack of support for first responders and veterans.”

Libertarians on the ballot in Wake County in 2024:

US President/VP: Chase Oliver/Mike Ter Maat

US House 4: Guy Meilleur

NC Governor: Mike Ross
NC Lt. Governor: Shannon Bray
NC Commissioner of Agriculture: Sean Haugh
NC Auditor: Bob Drach

NC Senate 13: Susan Hogarth
NC Senate 14: Sammie Brooks
NC Senate 15: Kat McDonald
NC Senate 17: Patrick Bowersox
NC Senate 18: Brad Hessel

NC House 11: Matthew Kordon
NC House 33: Chris Costello
NC House 34: Ed George 
NC House 35: Michael Oakes
NC House 36: Travis Groo 
NC House 37: Christopher Robinson
NC House 40: Michael Munger
NC House 41: Matt Laszacs
NC House 66: Michael Nelson

Wake S&W Supervisor: Brian Lewis

Raleigh City Council: James Bledsoe 

“Every voter in Wake County will have at least seven Libertarians on their ballot in 2024, which is a new all-time record,” stated WakeLP Chair Travis Groo. “Some will have as many as 11, which is another new high. Overall, we have 23 candidates running this year, which is the most ever.

“We actually have more candidates running for the NCGA in Wake county this year (14) than the WakeGOP (11),” he continued. “And as quickly as WakeLPs electoral clout is growing, our influence here in Wake County is growing even faster.”