Paul Barker is from Mount Airy, North Carolina. He has two degrees in criminal justice from Surry Community College. He is married to his wife, Jennifer, and they have four children and two grandchildren. He attends Community Baptist Church.

Paul is a North Carolina judicial officer and works part-time at the Surry County Sheriff's Office, where he assists with background investigations of new hires, budgeting, internal affairs, community outreach, and grant writing. He previously served as chief deputy at the Surry County Sheriff's Office and spent 26 years at the Mount Airy Police Department, where he was head of the criminal investigation division for eight years. He also has experience in law enforcement, including completing basic law enforcement training.

Paul's campaign for North Carolina State Representative, District 90, is his first time running for public office.