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Dear Neighbors,
I’m Robert Bennett, and I am a Democrat, proud NC State graduate, and climate and clean energy policy nerd. I've called the City of Oaks home for the last 10 years. I’m running for Congress because I believe the government should work for the people who power it.
For too long, Establishment Democrats have not only lost touch with voters, but they are compromised by special interests, dark money, and SuperPACs.The current Democratic Party leadership has jeopardized American democracy and affordability as a result.
I am NOT a career politician; I have no corporate sponsor. I’m just a guy who loves the Triangle and is fed up with the poor leadership in Washington, D.C., and its harmful downstream effects on North Carolinians.
Like many in my generation and in Gen Z, I have struggled over the last year and a half to find my way in my career amidst a deteriorating job market. I am running for Congress because I was motivated by Donald Trump’s autocracy, the affordability crisis, the climate crisis, and the mental health crisis to stand up for a better future.
I understand what it feels like to work hard and still feel like the system is not built for you. That is why I am running. I hope to bring science, honesty, and compassion back into policymaking and to build a government that works for everyone.
As a member of the City of Raleigh’s Environmental Advisory Board, I help guide the city’s Community Climate Action Plan and advise the City Council on issues like transportation, affordable housing, and stormwater infrastructure that impact environmental quality and protection.
From 2023 to 2025, I served as a Technical Specialist for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), focusing on national Electric Vehicle and distribution grid policy for the Center for Partnerships and Innovation. My work supported Public Utility Commissions across the country, including here in North Carolina, through conferences and workshops. During that time, I saw firsthand how utilities and corporations wielded enormous power over the energy sector—driving up costs, worsening pollution, and putting public health at risk. I left NARUC in early 2025 to take a short career break and begin preparing for public service.
Between 2020 and 2023, I coached lacrosse at Culbreth Middle School in Chapel Hill, mentoring students and building a strong, inclusive team culture. Lacrosse, known as the Creator’s Game in Haudenosaunee culture, continues to remind me of the power of teamwork and community.
As a Policy Analyst for the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, I helped advance clean energy policies like community solar, offshore wind, and energy efficiency programs that supported the North Carolina Carbon Plan.
My career began at the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, where I worked on the NC Climate Risk Assessment and Resilience Plan, the Clean Energy Plan, and CARES Act grants that funded home retrofits and community solar. I also led the statewide C-PACE Workgroup, bringing together governments, businesses, and nonprofits to pass commercial clean energy legislation in 2024.
I earned a Master’s in Climate Change and Society and a Bachelor’s in Political Science, with a minor in Environmental Science, from North Carolina State University. During college, I interned with the North Carolina Democratic Party’s State Senate Financial Caucus and on Ralph Northam’s 2016 gubernatorial campaign.
This campaign is about fixing the root issues of American democracy, like ending the two-party system, and reforming the Executive branch to prevent a dictatorship. We will address the issues that matter most to North Carolina and affect their bottom line, like healthcare, energy, housing, and transportation. I know what we can achieve when we put people over profit and lead with courage instead of fear. Thank you for believing in this vision with me.
Robert Bennett
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for Waukesha Mayor
Grow the Movement with Us
Our campaign is rooted in North Carolina, in the people, the places, and the values that make the City of Oaks strong. Every volunteer, every conversation, and every hour spent helps this movement take deeper root across our state.
Whether you want to knock doors, make calls, or spread the word online, your time and energy will help us grow a cleaner, fairer, and more sustainable future for everyone.