Brad Murphy

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Brad Murphy

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

May 17, 2022

Personal

Profession

Entrepreneur

Contact

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Brad Murphy (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent North Carolina's 1st Congressional District. He lost in the Republican primary on May 17, 2022.

Murphy completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Brad Murphy was born in New York. Murphy graduated from Millbrook High School. His career experience includes founding and working as the CEO of Gear Stream, Inc., and DigitalESP.

Elections

2022

See also: North Carolina's 1st Congressional District election, 2022

North Carolina's 1st Congressional District election, 2022 (May 17 Democratic primary)

North Carolina's 1st Congressional District election, 2022 (May 17 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House North Carolina District 1

Donald Davis defeated Sandy Smith in the general election for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Donald Davis (D)	52.4	134,996
		Sandy Smith (R)	47.6	122,780

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 257,776
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Eshan Patel (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1

Donald Davis defeated Erica Smith, Jason Spriggs, and Jullian Bishop Sr. in the Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Donald Davis	63.2	42,693
		Erica Smith	31.1	21,012
		Jason Spriggs	3.1	2,123
		Jullian Bishop Sr.	2.6	1,752

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 67,580
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 1 on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sandy Smith	31.4	13,621
		Sandy Roberson	26.7	11,603
		Billy Strickland	13.9	6,050
		Brent Roberson	13.8	5,992
		Brad Murphy	9.5	4,128
		Will Aiken	3.0	1,285
		Ernest Reeves	1.2	523
	Submit photo	Henry Williams	0.5	202

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 43,404
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Brad Murphy completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Murphy's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Brad Murphy is a successful, conservative Tech Entrepreneur who grew up in Raleigh, N.C. After high school Brad enrolled in the school of engineering at NC State. Brad left school early to pursue his first startup opportunity in the emerging 1980s software industry. Nearly 40 years later, he has founded two globally successful technology start-ups, serving some of the world’s largest companies and innovative employers.

Brad is running for Congress to address the growing wealth and opportunity gap between urban centers and rural farming and manufacturing communities left behind by the new economy. Brad brings a bold vision for revitalizing rural North Carolina by shrinking the role and reach of federal government while simultaneously accelerating the reach of modern broadband access, which is the lifeblood of new economy entrepreneurship and modern, tech enabled health care.

In place of outdated government small business initiatives, Brad is working to deploy locally sponsored, digital entrepreneurship support programs. Additionally, Brad is also actively building a coalition of private industry employers seeking to partner and invest at the middle, high school, and community college level to ensure that young people graduating high school have lucrative career opportunities within reach without having to relocate to larger urban centers.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I have a bold vision and plan for transforming both the economy and education in District 1 that equips small business and educators with the tools and skills essential to participating in the lucrative new economy.

• I plan to radically shrink the control and reach of the Federal Government by abolishing several federal agencies including the IRS, The Department of Commerce, The Dept of Education, Dept of Interior and lastly the Dept of Labor.
• Combating future threats to our democracy must address threats both domestic and foreign. Our biggest domestic threat in the near-term includes the integrity of our elections. This threat has potential to undermine the very foundation of democracy and in many ways is more imminent than the threat of foreign adversaries. Similarly, foreign threats are now being waged using modern tools of cyber-hacking and disinformation, designed to sow chaos in our country. Both China and Russia are actively waging digital warfare with our nation and we must employ new investments to keep this threat from undermining our way of life.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Brads focus on public policy passions involve the following four themes:

1 - Transformation of Education that promotes greater choice for parents and better outcomes for students

2 - Small business entrepreneurship readiness and success in the new digital economy

3 - Monetary policy that promotes U.S. global competitiveness and strengthens U.S. based supply chain resiliency

4 - Strengthening of U.S. deterrents to increasing aggression from both China and Russia

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity, transparency and accountability.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To do what they say they they are going to do, and to place the interests of citizens in their district ahead of partisan politics.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe that today, more than ever, we need successful entrepreneurs who have worked and succeeded in the real world to seek public office. The lack of previous political experience in my opinion is a huge plus!

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

I believe we have three equally difficult challenges ahead over the next decade:

Challenge 1 - The future of Democracy and The Urban Rural Divide
Urban cities have flourished as the U.S. economy has accelerated it's shift away from Agriculture and Manufacturing leaving rural America behind. This is a trend that undermines democracy and inflames the toxic political climate we now find ourselves

Challenge 2 - Shrinking the size of the Federal Government
The true size of the Federal government (not including the military) has ballooned to over 11 million employees! While the government reports that there are only 2 million full-time federal employees, the government has been employing temporary and contract employees through grants and other back door funding schemes resulting in a tone-def, out of control bureaucracy that must be reigned in.

Challenge 3 - The Financial Apocalypse of Debt Is Looming

The explosion of Federal debt is at risk of crippling our countries economy in the decades to come. No nation can spend in excess of it's income forever. More worrying is that the single largest source of borrowed money is the Social Security trust fund. We know already that the Federal government has no way to pay back in full the money's borrowed. There is a financial reckoning on the horizon that will not only challenge our way of life, but has potential to unleash a generational conflict between young and old as the funds for Social Security disappear.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes, although a house term that is four years in duration (instead of two), and limited to a maximum of two terms might be a better arrangement.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I unequivocally support term limits and have publicly promised that if elected, I will NOT serve more than three terms as a congressman.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

I believe that compromising conservative principals and values is never acceptable as a member of Congress, however seeking common ground with an opposing party when it doesn't violate conservative principals should be encouraged.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Murphy's campaign website stated the following:

“	Transform & Equip Rural NC to Thrive in the New Digital Economy Place District 1 at the Center of a Bold New Approach to Transforming Rural Economies It’s time to lead new private/public partnerships that dramatically accelerate rural entrepreneurship and job creation in the new digital economy. This effort is focused on jump-starting and growing opportunities in small business digital commerce, agricultural tech, rural-shoring software centers, electric vehicle and renewable energy component design and assembly. Low Cost, Space-Based High Speed Internet Accelerate access to new space-based satellite broadband Internet services that deliver fast, reliable and affordable internet access to every family, school, small business and farm across all of our region. Transform Education for the New Economy Develop new digital-first education programs that reward high achieving schools and students with premier access to online “learn by doing” initiatives, providing a smoother transition to high paying jobs following high school and community college. Rebuild Skill Based Learning Opportunities through Common-Sense Tax Policy 53% of working adults today with a four year degree are either unemployed, or working in jobs that do NOT require a college education. Meanwhile, many important industries are struggling to find skilled technicians to meet demand. I plan to help craft common-sense tax policies designed to reinvigorate vocational training and enhance two-year skilled degree programs. I will seek to craft incentives that reward community colleges for successfully equipping both vocational and two year degree students with the skills required by the new economy and traditional industries. When done well, these policies and programs will allow our students to transition quickly into lucrative, well paying jobs. Transform Election Integrity and Voter Confidence Mandatory Voter ID Our 2020 Federal elections revealed serious flaws in the transparency and integrity of our elections, causing millions of Americans to question their confidence in our electoral process. A universal Voter ID that matches each in-person vote with an authenticated voter eligibility roll will serve to both increase voter confidence and discourage voter fraud. Real-Time Voter Role Modernization Voter rolls today are fraught with both outdated and incorrect information. A new system for real-time cross verification is an essential capability to prevent fraud and ensure each citizen’s vote represents their voting preference. Signature Scanning for all Mail-In Ballots For those seeking to commit fraud, Mail-in ballots are by far the easiest to exploit. Signature scanning is a highly reliable and cost-effective way to confirm the validity of mail-in ballots, as well as flag those ballots that represent possible fraud. Fast-Track Judicial Voter Fraud Review All claims of voter fraud should be taken seriously. A new federal law requiring rapid judicial review, including a bi-partisan review of evidence would increase both fairness and integrity in the fraud appeals process. Strengthen & Modernize NC Farming Expand Investment in Digital Innovations for Farm Operations and Production Assist farmers with new digital modernization programs focused on both enhancing crop production and increasing domestic, direct to consumer demand opportunities. Accelerating access to Ag-Tech equipment and software innovations can dramatically increase crop production yields while also reducing consumption of water and synthetic fertilizers. I will also focus on policies that help farmers transition to “buy-local” digital platforms that reduce reliance on overseas markets and satisfy the growing interest by U.S. consumers to increase their consumption of farm-to-table produce. Renewed Commitment to Infrastructure and Security Roads, bridges, and rail connections still matter and some of our rural communities still lack access to safe, clean water. These are all investments that are essential to health and can no longer be ignored. Confront & Neutralize the Growing Threat of China & Russia Support New Investment in Strengthening Our Military China is amassing a military that poses a threat to Taiwan’s independence. Meanwhile Russia is aggressively assembling at the border of Ukraine with intentions to rebuild the former Soviet Union. These potential conflicts have huge implications for the soldiers and sailors with ties to NC but also to the farm families who rely on customers overseas. Trade impacts that emerge from military action or policy differences can hit home in District 1 in many ways. Advance our Digital Defense Against Cyberwarfare The recent Colonial Pipeline shutdown is a simple example of just how hackers can wreak havoc and inflict real economic damage to our country. Today both China and Russia are the world's most aggressive and dangerous state sponsors of cyber warfare aimed at disrupting both the U.S. economy and our national security interests. Targeting our electric power grid is only one of many vulnerabilities that our enemies are seeking to exploit. Even the smallest breach of our electric grid would have devastating impacts on District 1.	”
—Brad Murphy's campaign website (2022)

See also

2022 Elections

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Candidate

U.S. House North Carolina District 1

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Footnotes

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North Carolina's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Ted Budd (R)

Thom Tillis (R)

Representatives

District 1

Donald Davis (D)

District 2

Deborah Ross (D)

District 3

Gregory Murphy (R)

District 4

Valerie Foushee (D)

District 5

Virginia Foxx (R)

District 6

Addison McDowell (R)

District 7

David Rouzer (R)

District 8

Mark Harris (R)

District 9

Richard Hudson (R)

District 10

Pat Harrigan (R)

District 11

Chuck Edwards (R)

District 12

Alma Adams (D)

District 13

Brad Knott (R)

District 14

Timothy Moore (R)

Republican Party (12)

Democratic Party (4)