2014 North Carolina judicial elections

Supreme Court (Chief Justice)

Chief Justice Sarah Parker stepped down from her position on the Court in 2014 because she reached the mandatory retirement age of 72. Her seat would have been on the November 2014 election ballot in any event, since she was elected Chief Justice in 2006 to an eight-year term. Governor Pat McCrory appointed senior Associate Justice Mark Martin to occupy the Chief Justice position in the interim. Chief Justice Martin ran for the Chief Justice position for a full eight-year term. Martin was challenged in the general election by fellow Republican Ola Lewis, a Superior Court Judge.

• Mark Martin, incumbent Chief Justice
• Ola Lewis, Resident Judge of the Brunswick County Superior Court (District 13B)

Supreme Court (Seat 3)

Justice Robin Hudson ran for re-election to a second term. Notably, Hudson was the only incumbent challenged by more than 1 candidate, triggering a primary election, where the top two candidates advanced to the general election.

• Jeanette Doran, chair of the North Carolina Division of Employment Security Board of Review
• Robin Hudson, incumbent Associate Justice
• Eric Levinson, Judge of the Mecklenburg County Superior Court (District 26C)

Organizations

• NC Experience Conservative Judges (co-endorsement with Levinson)

Statewide officials

• Jim Exum, former Chief Justice (1986–1995)
• Henry Frye, former Chief Justice (1999–2001)
• Elaine Marshall, incumbent North Carolina Secretary of State
• Burley Mitchell, former Chief Justice (1995–1999) Labor unions
• NC AFL-CIO Organizations
• NC Advocates for Justice
• NC Association of Educators Political parties
• North Carolina Democratic Party Newspapers and other media
• The Charlotte Observer

Statewide officials

• I. Beverly Lake Jr., former Chief Justice (2001–2006)
• Bob Orr, former Associate Justice (1995–2004) Organizations
• NC Experience Conservative Judges (co-endorsement with Doran) Political parties
• North Carolina Republican Party

Supreme Court (Seat 4)

Justice Cheri Beasley ran for a full term after she was appointed to the seat by former Governor Bev Perdue in 2012.

Beasley won election to her first full term with 50.1 percent of the vote. The margin was small enough that a recount would be allowed, if Robinson requested it. He filed such a request for a recount on Nov. 17. After the recount only added a net 17 votes to Robinson's total, he conceded and Beasley was declared the winner on Nov. 25.

• Cheri Beasley, incumbent Associate Justice
• Michael L. Robinson, private practice attorney

Supreme Court (Seat 5)

Governor McCrory appointed Robert Hunter Jr., a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals, to the seat previously held by Mark Martin after his elevation to Chief Justice. Justice Hunter ran for a full eight-year term, and was challenged by his colleague on the North Carolina Court of Appeals, Sam Ervin IV, who narrowly lost a race for Associate Justice in 2012.

• Sam Ervin IV, incumbent Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals
• Robert Hunter Jr., incumbent Associate Justice

Court of Appeals (Seat 7)

Judge Mark Davis ran for a full term after serving out the remainder of Judge Cheri Beasley's unexpired term. Beasley was appointed to the Supreme Court.

District Court Judge Paul A. Holcombe also ran for this seat. Paul Holcombe has been a District Court Judge for Johnston, Harnett and Lee Counties since January 2009.

Davis won his first full term by taking 58.8 percent of the vote.

Court of Appeals (Seat 8)

The seat held by Judge Bob Hunter (not to be confused with his colleague on the Court, Robert Hunter Jr.) was on the ballot. Hunter announced on Aug. 14, 2013, that he would not seek re-election.

Judges Lucy Inman and Bill Southern were both candidates for the seat. Judge Inman is a special Superior Court judge and was appointed to that position in 2010 by former Governor Beverly Perdue. Prior to that, she was a trial lawyer. Judge Southern currently serves on the District Court bench for Stokes and Surry Counties. He was elected to that position in 2008 and in 2012. Prior to that, he served as an assistant district attorney in Stokes and Surry Counties.

Inman won election to her first term on the North Carolina Court of Appeals with 51.9 percent of the vote.

Court of Appeals (Seat 9)

Judge Donna Stroud ran unopposed for re-election.

Court of Appeals (Seat 10)

On July 9, 2014, Chief Judge John Martin announced his retirement, effective August 1, 2014, creating another opening to be filled by voters in the general election. Because of the date of his retirement, no primary election was held for the seat. Governor Pat McCrory appointed Judge Lisa Bell to hold the Martin seat for the remainder of the year, but she was not among the candidates who ran for a full term.

Nineteen candidates filed for the special election. They included former Court of Appeals Judge John Arrowood of Charlotte, Raleigh attorney Betsy Bunting, District Court Judge Lori G. Christian, Raleigh bankruptcy attorney Jeffrey Cook, Raleigh Deputy Industrial Commissioner and former Court of Appeals staff lawyer J. Brad Donovan, Hertford attorney Daniel Patrick Donahue, Raleigh attorney Sabra Faires, former Superior Court judge Abe Jones, New Bern attorney Ann Kirby, Deputy Industrial Commissioner Keischa Lovelace, Raleigh attorney Marty Martin, Haywood County trial attorney Hunter Murphy, Raleigh attorney Joseph "Jody" Newsome, Raleigh attorney Patricia "Tricia" Shields, Raleigh attorney Elizabeth Davenport Scott, former Court of Appeals Judge John Tyson of Cumberland County, Brunswick County District Court Judge Marion Warren, Greensboro attorney and former State Board of Elections member Chuck Winfree, and Yadkinville attorney Valerie Zachary.

Judge Tyson won his second full term on the court with 23.9 percent of the vote. Arrowood placed second with 14.4 percent. No other candidate took more than 10 percent of the vote.

References

• State Board of Elections: Judicial Officeholders

References

1. "Republicans' Election Night wave: It was big".
2. [http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/11/04/4294280/nc-court-of-appeals-inman-davis.html News & Observer]
3. [http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/under-the-dome/article41798730.html News & Observer, Oct. 29, 2015]
4. "The New Politics of Judicial Elections, 2013-14".
5. (August 5, 2014). "GOP director responds to Ola Lewis' claim of 'political gamesmanship'".
6. [http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/morning_memo_florida_gop_governor_takes_nc_democrats_approach News & Observer Under the Dome Morning Memo: Florida GOP governor takes N.C. Democrats approach]
7. [http://www.wwaytv3.com/2014/02/28/ola-lewis-files-to-run-for-nc-supreme-court-chief-justice WWAY-TV]
8. [http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2014/PPP_Release_NC_9161118.pdf Public Policy Polling]
9. "11/04/2014 Official General Election Results – Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
10. [http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/10/25/3312446/hudson-seeking-re-election-to.html News & Observer: Hudson seeking re-election to NC Supreme Court]
11. (May 2, 2014). "The TV Ad That’s Rattling The Campaign For NC Supreme Court".
12. Staff Report. (February 26, 2014). "Snyder, Kryn enter NC Senate race".
13. [http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/10/23/4409819/meck-judge-levinson-seeks-supreme.html#.Um8QBKPD_IU Charlotte Observer] {{webarchive. link. (2014-02-21)
14. (April 23, 2014). "Endorsements for Three Candidates for N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice Race in the May Primary".
15. (April 11, 2014). "Justice Hudson picks up high-profile endorsements".
16. (April 29, 2014). "NC Supreme Court race sees outside money and negative ads".
17. (March 27, 2014). "Labor, lawyers, teachers endorse Justice Hudson".
18. (October 23, 2014). "How we see the appellate races".
19. "NC Republican Party Statement on Endorsements of Judicial Candidates".
20. "05/06/2014 Official Primary Election Results – Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
21. [http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2014/PPP_Release_NC_8201205.pdf Public Policy Polling]
22. "11/04/2014 Official General Election Results – Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
23. [http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/justice_beasley_will_run_for_her_seat_in_2014 News & Observer Under the Dome: Justice Beasley will run for her seat in 2014]
24. [http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/11/05/4297504_recount-possible-in-nc-supreme.html?sp=/99/100/&rh=1 News & Observer]
25. [http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/11/17/4330792/nc-supreme-court-candidate-mike.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1 News & Observer: NC Supreme Court candidate Mike Robinson, Senate hopeful Tom Bradshaw file for recounts]
26. (November 25, 2014). "Voting machine problems do not change election outcome".
27. (September 18, 2014). "NCBA, UNC-TV Present Forums".
28. "11/04/2014 Official General Election Results – Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
29. (September 24, 2014). "Justice Robert N. Hunter, Jr. to be Installed as 95th Associate Justice of Supreme Court on Friday".
30. [http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/judge_ervin_will_run_again_for_supreme_court News & Observer Under the Dome: Judge Ervin will run again for Supreme Court]
31. "NC Court of Appeals Judge Robert N. Hunter, Jr. files paperwork to run for NC Supreme Court".
32. "11/04/2014 Official General Election Results – Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
33. "Mark Davis will run to retain his seat on N.C. Court of Appeals".
34. "Official Candidate Filings, NC State Board of Elections".
35. "Johnston County | North Carolina Judicial Branch".
36. "11/04/2014 Official General Election Results – Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
37. (14 August 2013). "Judge Robert C. Hunter to retire from NC Court of Appeals".
38. "News & Observer Under the Dome".
39. [http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/11/13/3368296/surry-county-judge-announces-appeals.html News & Observer: Surry County judge announces appeals court candidacy]
40. "11/04/2014 Official General Election Results – Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
41. "NC State Board of Elections: Candidate filing list".
42. "11/04/2014 Official General Election Results – Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
43. "The Associated Press".
44. [http://governor.state.nc.us/newsroom/press-releases/20140822/governor-mccrory-appoints-judge-lisa-bell-court-appeals Governor McCrory Appoints Judge Lisa Bell to Court of Appeals]
45. "19 candidates file for N.C. Court of Appeals seat; 5 file for Alamance Superior Court seat".
46. "Charlotte Observer".
47. [http://judgepedia.org/Lori_G._Christian Judgepedia]
48. [http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/07/24/4027256/industrial-commission-deputy-will.html News & Observer: Industrial Commission deputy will run for appeals court]
49. [http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/08/01/4043085/morning-memo.html News & Observer]
50. "N.C. Industrial Commission Deputy Commissioners' Biographies".
51. "Hunter Murphy webpage".
52. "Hedrick Gardner".
53. "NCPoliticalNews.com {{!}} Judge John Tyson files as Candidate for Judge of Court of Appeals".
54. "State Board of Elections: Special Judicial Candidate List".
55. "11/04/2014 Official General Election Results – Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.