Christopher Sessions on Decriminalization, School Choice, and Income Tax in North Carolina

Jonathan Breeden:
Alright, three, two, one…

Hello and welcome to another edition of The Best of Johnston County Podcast. I’m your host, Jonathan Breeden. Today, we’re joined by Christopher Sessions, who is running as a Libertarian candidate for the North Carolina Senate in District 10—which now includes almost all of Johnston County. He’ll be on your ballot this November 5th, running against incumbent Republican State Senator Benton Sawrey of Clayton.

We’ll be talking with Christopher today about his views on legalizing drugs, school choice, eliminating the income tax, and other policy issues that reflect the Libertarian platform—some of which may be new to you.

Before we dive in, don’t forget to like, follow, or subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, or wherever you’re listening. New episodes drop every Monday. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a five-star review and drop a comment with your feedback.

Welcome, Chris!

Christopher Sessions:
Thanks for having me!

Jonathan Breeden:
No problem. Let’s start with the basics. What’s your name, and can you share a bit about your background?

Christopher Sessions:
Sure. I’m Chris Sessions, running for Senate District 10. First and foremost, I’m a family man. I have four kids and a beautiful wife, Grace. I’ve lived in North Carolina for about 20 years—brought here by the military. I’ve lived in Johnston County for the last six years. I have a master’s degree from Franklin University and currently work at Pike Electric as a warehouse manager.

Jonathan Breeden:
Where did you grow up?

Christopher Sessions:
Utah. Actually, I just heard Utah was named the happiest state in the U.S.—and it is beautiful. But I’ve lived in North Carolina longer, and I’m used to the warm weather. This is home now.

Jonathan Breeden:
What made you want to join the military?

Christopher Sessions:
Even though I eventually earned a degree, I knew college wasn’t for me straight out of high school. I felt a sense of patriotism and saw the military as a good career path. I joined the National Guard in high school, then went active duty after graduation.

Jonathan Breeden:
You served in the U.S. Army?

Christopher Sessions:
Yes. I started at Fort Benning in Georgia, then went overseas to Germany and Italy. In 2001, I got stationed at Fort Bragg and spent most of the rest of my career there, with four years at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Jonathan Breeden:
What did you do in the Army?

Christopher Sessions:
I started as a cook but transitioned into logistics. As civilian contractors began running the kitchens, I moved into logistics. I eventually became the logistics sergeant major for all of Iraq in 2016.

Jonathan Breeden:
Wow. What does a logistics sergeant major do?

Christopher Sessions:
Basically, I oversaw the movement of everything soldiers needed—people, food, fuel, bullets, and equipment. A lot of it is figuring out what can move safely by ground or air.

Jonathan Breeden:
When did you officially retire?

Christopher Sessions:
The end of 2017 was my last day in uniform. Official retirement was in 2018.

Jonathan Breeden:
I assume you were honorably discharged?

Christopher Sessions:
Yes, honorably retired. I know not everyone is. I’ve had to separate some soldiers who just weren’t cut out for the military. Good people, but it’s not for everyone.

Jonathan Breeden:
What’s the biggest thing you learned in 28 years that applies to your civilian life—and maybe your future in state government?

Christopher Sessions:
How inefficient government can be. One thing that really stuck with me: at the end of every fiscal year, units would spend leftover funds just so they wouldn’t lose budget next year. Even if they didn’t need anything, they’d blow through money on wish-list items. That waste drives me crazy.

Jonathan Breeden:
You’re not the first to say that. I heard stories like that when I worked at the legislature in the ’90s. Let’s talk about Pike Electric—what do they do, and what’s your role?

Christopher Sessions:
Pike Electric is an electrical contractor. My team works on new construction for Duke Energy—subdivisions, apartment complexes, etc. I run the warehouse where all materials like poles, transformers, and wire are stored and managed.

Jonathan Breeden:
Let’s talk about your platform. One of your top issues is the decriminalization of drugs, starting with medical marijuana.

Christopher Sessions:
Absolutely. As a veteran, I’ve seen how marijuana has changed lives—helping fellow vets get off other medications with serious side effects. I don’t believe people should be thrown in jail for what they put in their own body.

Look at Portugal. They decriminalized all drugs and treated it as a medical issue instead of criminal. Their overdose deaths dropped by 80%. We could set an example here in North Carolina.

Jonathan Breeden:
You also support school choice. Can you elaborate?

Christopher Sessions:
Yes. I support full funding for school choice and letting money follow the student. Parents should decide what’s best—whether that’s public school, private school, charter school, homeschooling, or microschools.

Microschools especially excite me—teachers can educate small groups in homes, giving kids more one-on-one attention and giving teachers better pay.

Jonathan Breeden:
What about ensuring standards in non-traditional schools?

Christopher Sessions:
That’s the parents’ job. If they’re not happy with the education, they’ll move their kids. The government can’t even hold its own schools accountable, so why would we expect them to regulate private options better?

Jonathan Breeden:
The state senate recently passed full funding for opportunity scholarships. That may cost $450 million but could shift students from public to private schools and potentially reduce public school costs. We’ll see how that plays out in the next legislative session.

You also support eliminating the income tax.

Christopher Sessions:
Yes. Though I’m evolving on that. I support simplifying the tax code—combining income, sales, and property taxes into one transparent system. Let voters clearly see how much they’re paying and decide if it’s worth it.

Jonathan Breeden:
Another interesting piece of your platform is ending certain occupational licensing. Can you explain?

Christopher Sessions:
North Carolina ranks eighth worst for occupational licensing. Nearly 22% of jobs require a license—including things like hair braiding, manicuring, auctioneering, and landscaping. Most of these don’t affect public safety—they just create barriers to entry and protect existing professionals.

We should remove licensing for any job that isn’t tied to public safety.

Jonathan Breeden:
And many of those licenses come with high training requirements and costs. They really can block people from working—especially military spouses who move often.

Christopher Sessions:
Exactly. They limit entrepreneurship and job access without benefiting public safety.

Jonathan Breeden:
As an attorney, I paid an extra licensing fee on top of my state bar dues just to operate as a business until this year. It was pointless and frustrating.

Christopher Sessions:
Right. Even in professions like nursing and paralegals, unnecessary restrictions drive up costs and limit service. Some states are experimenting with certified paralegals doing minor legal work—that could help improve access and affordability.

Jonathan Breeden:
So how can people support your campaign?

Christopher Sessions:
They can visit lpnc.org/sessions, or find me on Facebook at “Sessions for NC Senate” or on X (Twitter) @SessionsForSenate.

Jonathan Breeden:
Great. Well, thanks for coming on. Christopher Sessions is the Libertarian candidate running in Senate District 10, which covers almost all of Johnston County. He’ll be on your ballot this November 5th against Republican incumbent Benton Sawrey.

Check out his campaign, follow him on social media, and learn more about what he stands for.

Until next time, I’m your host, Jonathan Breeden.