2022 Elections : The candidates for Judge & Justice

Amanda Haefner -

In North Carolina, judges are elected by the state's voters rather than appointed; appointments happen to fill a vacancy until the next pertinent election. Judicial terms run for eight (8) years. Both the state Supreme Court and Court of Appeals are elected by the state as a whole. In order to be elected to any judge position, candidates must be authorized to practice law in North Carolina. All candidates below meet this qualification.

Judges are ethically prohibited from discussing specific issues that are expected to come before the court, such as the supremacy of state versus federal marijuana policy. As such, the information on the candidates below focuses on relevant experience rather than a system of beliefs or specific policy supports.

Justice is the term for a judge on a supreme court

Supreme Court Associate Justice

Seat 3

Richard Dietz ( R )

  • currently a judge of the NC Court of Appeals
    • appointed to the NC Court of Appeals in 2014, elected in 2016
  • has argued cases in front of the US Supreme Court
  • led a program for the NC Court of Appeals for pro bono representation for defendants interested in filing an appeal

Lucy Inman ( D )

  • currently a judge of the NC Court of Appeals
    • appointed to NC Superior Court in 2010, elected to the NC Court of Appeals in 2014

Seat 5

Sam J Ervin IV ( D )

  • currently a justice of the NC Supreme Court
    • elected to NC Supreme Court in 2014, was previously elected to the NC Court of Appeals in 2008

Trey Allen ( R )

  • currently general council for the NC Administrative Office of the Courts
  • Associate Professor at UNC Chapel Hill (currently on leave), joined faculty in 2013
  • has argued cases in front of the NC Supreme Court

NC Court of Appeals

Seat 8

Julee Tate Flood ( R )

  • currently working under Judge Jeffery K Carpenter at the NC Court of Appeals
  • has worked for multiple appellate court judges

Carolyn Jennings Thompson ( D )

  • former district and superior court judge

Seat 9

Brad A Salmon ( D )

  • currently a judge of the NC District Court
    • appointed in 2021
  • served in the NC House for one term, elected in 2014

Donna Stroud ( R )

  • currently the Chief Judge of the NC Court of Appeals
  • elected to NC District Court in 2004 and NC Court of Appeals in 2006 and 2014

Seat 10

John M Tyson ( R )

  • currently a judge of the NC Court of Appeals
    • elected in 2014
  • previously a judge of the NC Court of Appeals elected in 2000
  • between 2009 and 2014, served as a recall judge for the NC Court of Appeals and as an emergency judge for the NC Superior Court

Gale Murray Adams ( D )

  • elected to NC Superior Court in 2012
  • previously worked as both Assistant District Attorney and in the Office of the Federal Public Defender

Seat 11

Darren Jackson ( D )

  • current judge of the NC Court of Appeals
    • appointed in 2020
  • elected to the NC House in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020

Michael J Stading ( R )

  • current JAG officer in the US Air Force
  • previously a judge of the NC District Court