Daniel Cavender

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Daniel Cavender

Libertarian Party

Candidate, U.S. House North Carolina District 3

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Next election

November 3, 2026

Education

High school

Central Davidson High School

Associates

Davidson-Davie Community College, 2019

Bachelor's

University of North Carolina Greensboro, 2021

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Marine Corps Reserve

Years of service

2015 - 2022

Personal

Birthplace

Lexington, NC

Religion

Christian: Methodist

Profession

Technician

Contact

Campaign Facebook

Personal Facebook

Daniel Cavender (Libertarian Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent North Carolina's 3rd Congressional District. The Libertarian Party primary for this office on March 3, 2026, was canceled.

Biography

Daniel Cavender was born in Lexington, North Carolina. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve from 2015 to 2022. Cavender earned a high school diploma from Central Davidson High School, an associate degree from Davidson-Davie Community College in 2019, and a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina Greensboro in 2021. His career experience includes working as a fire protection equipment technician. As of 2024, Cavender was affiliated with the Davidson County Libertarian Party, the Libertarian Party of North Carolina, and the American Legion.

Elections

2026

See also: North Carolina's 3rd Congressional District election, 2026

General election

The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for U.S. House North Carolina District 3

Incumbent Gregory Murphy (R) and Daniel Cavender (L) are running in the general election for U.S. House North Carolina District 3 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Gregory Murphy (R)
		Daniel Cavender (L)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= 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.

Democratic primary

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 3

Allison Jaslow (D) and Raymond Smith Jr. (D) are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 3 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Allison Jaslow
		Raymond Smith Jr.

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• George Papastrat (D)
• Christopher Schulte (D)

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled. Incumbent Gregory Murphy (R) advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 3 without appearing on the ballot.

Libertarian Party primary

The Libertarian Party primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled. Daniel Cavender (L) advanced from the Libertarian Party primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 3 without appearing on the ballot.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Austin Ayers (L)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2024

See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for North Carolina State Senate District 30

Incumbent Steven Jarvis defeated Tina Royal and Daniel Cavender in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 30 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steven Jarvis (R)	72.6	86,181
		Tina Royal (D)	24.7	29,294
		Daniel Cavender (L)	2.7	3,161

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 118,636
= 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.

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Tina Royal advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 30.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Steven Jarvis advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 30.

Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Daniel Cavender advanced from the Libertarian primary for North Carolina State Senate District 30.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Cavender in this election.

Pledges

Cavender signed the following pledges.

• U.S. Term Limits

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Daniel Cavender has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Daniel Cavender asking him to fill out the survey. If you are Daniel Cavender, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate's Ballotpedia profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for.  More than 25,000 candidates have taken Ballotpedia's candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here.

You can ask Daniel Cavender to fill out this survey by using the button below or emailing cavenderdaniel@yahoo.com.

2024

Daniel Cavender completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Cavender's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am Daniel Cavender. I am a 27 year old Christian, Marine Corps Veteran, and father to be. Growing up, I have always heard the United States referred to as "The Land of the Free". However, I do not believe that we are as free as we should be, nor used to be. That is why I want to start with the state of North Carolina, and work to make North Carolina more free, first and foremost. My two most important issues are recreational marijuana legalization, and Constitutional Carry. I am a firm believer that ALL gun laws are infringements- and therefore violations of the Second Amendment. I also do not think the government has any say whether or not you choose to partake in a plant, grown from mother Earth. Furthermore, I understand that conversations about the legalization of gambling have been coming up. Once again, I take the pro-freedom stance, in letting people do what they want with their own money. Other issues that I maintain this pro-freedom stance include automobile issues, police/justice reform, certain hunting and fishing regulations, and North Carolina's ABC laws.

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?

• If I am elected as District 30's State Senator, I will work relentlessly to push legislation to legalize recreational marijuana, and Constitutional Carry.
• I am THE pro-freedom candidate. If you wish to be more free as a citizen, I am your best option.
• I can, and will work with both Democrats, and Republicans. There are certain issues that I, as a Libertarian, can agree with either side on.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am most passionate about victimless crime laws. I do not think our fellow North Carolinians should be robbed, or held hostage by the state because they chose to grow or use a plant, gamble, or exercise their Second Amendment rights.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to Spike Cohen. I think he is a great, outspoken advocate of Liberty. I hope he becomes President one day.

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

The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Abiding by this document is the most important principle any elected official should have.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am stubborn. Some might say that's a bad thing. I disagree. It means I will not stop working towards the policy goals that I have, in order to make us more free.

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

I believe the core responsibility of any elected official is to be a public servant. This means that elected officials work for the people, and should serve their best interests.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave a legacy of government officials pulling back outdated laws.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I vaguely remember 9/11. I was only four years old. I remember seeing the news footage, and my parents' eyes glued to the TV screen. While I did not understand what was happening then, I do now. I believe we should never forget.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was when I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. I stepped on the yellow footprints on July 6, 2015. I got out, right at the end of my contract in 2022.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Animal Farm, by George Orwell. As a history buff, it was interesting to read about animals that were paralleling the formation of the Soviet Union. It highlighted the abuses- something that I think is good for most Americans to see.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"The Law is for the Protection of the People", by Kris Kristofferson

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Trying to juggle work, school, a campaign, and my role as a husband and father has certainly been a struggle.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

In order to get anything done, the governor and state legislature ought to work together. That means that the state legislature ought to be open to add, or subtract some verbage that could be the deciding factor on whether or not the Governor signs a bill into law.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Infrastructure, at large will likely be North Carolina's greatest challenge. There are many people moving here (and I can understand why- this is a great state!). However, the roads need to be up to par with having a greater number of people here. The same can be said about the energy grid.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

It can be beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics- but not always. This is something that goes way to far, when it comes to career politicians.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

I think it is beneficial to build relationships with other legislators. I think two minds are better than one. Two legislators being able to work together to draft a bill would make for a better bill.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I would like to model myself after Representative Thomas Massie.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

I am.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I heard a story of someone that was pulled over by state trooper. The trooper had a headlight out- yet, still issued a ticket.
This is impactful, because I believe law enforcement should be setting the example. What kind of message are they presenting, if they extort others for not following the law, yet, they cannot bring themselves to follow it either?

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

No. In fact, I believe that the use of emergency powers by Governor Cooper during the COVID pandemic was an abuse of power. Many North Carolinians were negatively impacted by the forced shutdowns that never should have occurred.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

The first bill I would introduce would seek to legalize recreational marijuana, and free any North Carolinians that are imprisioned, soley for the use thereof.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

The Davidson County Libertarian Party

What committees interest you?

Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee, the Appropriations on Agriculture, Natural, and Economic Resources Committee, the Appropriations on Justice and Public Safety Committee, and the Judicial Committee.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I believe that taxation is theft. Thus, what the government does with the money that they stole from us should be 100% transparent. If the government misuses that money, they should certainly be held accountable.

Would a state ballot initiative process be good or bad for your state?

I do think a state ballot initiative process would be good for North Carolina. I believe it is healthy to let the people decide sometimes, and have a more active role in policy decisions.

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 finance summary

---

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

---

Daniel Cavender campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024	North Carolina State Senate District 30	Lost general	$296	$235
Grand total			$296	$235
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

See also

2026 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

U.S. House North Carolina District 3

Facebook

Personal

Facebook

Footnotes

[show]

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)