Larry Shaw is a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's twenty-first Senate district, including constituents in Cumberland County. A corporate executive from Fayetteville, North Carolina, Shaw is currently serving in his seventh term in the North Carolina Senate. Previously, he served one term in the North Carolina House of Representatives. In 2010, Shaw announced that he would not seek re-election.
Shaw was the highest-ranking Muslim elected official in the United States until the election of Keith Ellison to represent Minnesota's 5th congressional district.
Shaw also serves on the National Board of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). He became chairman of the board in 2009. In 2010 he became the host of an internet radio show on American Muslim 360 that is regularly scheduled for Tuesday evenings. The show is focused on current events and real world topics.