2014 North Carolina judicial elections explained

Four justices of the seven-member North Carolina Supreme Court and four judges of the 15-member North Carolina Court of Appeals were elected by North Carolina voters on November 4, 2014, concurrently with other state elections. Terms for seats on each court are eight years.

Assessing the election results, Politifact writer Louis Jacobson noted that Supreme Court races in North Carolina and other states yielded "better-than-average results" for Democrats, who otherwise suffered heavy defeats across the country. "In a series of hotly contested North Carolina contests, two Democratic-leaning judges [Ervin and Hudson] prevailed, one Democrat [Beasley] was leading in a very close race, and one Republican [Chief Justice Martin] was re-elected," Jacobson wrote.[1] At the Court of Appeals level, two Democrats, Lucy Inman and Mark Davis, and one Republican, John Tyson, were elected in contested races, while another Republican, Donna Stroud, was re-elected without opposition.[2]

North Carolina ranked second among all states in total spending on judicial election campaigns in 2014.[3] [4]

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.

Candidates

Results

Supreme Court (Martin seat)

The seat formerly held by Associate Justice Mark Martin was on the ballot. Justice Martin was appointed to the position of chief justice, effective Sept. 1, and ran for that seat.

Candidates

Results

Supreme Court (Hudson seat)

Associate Justice Robin E. Hudson ran for re-election to a second term.[10]

Candidates

Primary election

Results

General election

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Robin E.
Hudson		Eric
Levinson		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingSeptember 11–14, 20141,266 (LV)±  2.8%18%10%—72%
Public Policy Polling[13] August 14–17, 2014856 (LV)± 3.4%19%11%—71%

Results

Supreme Court (Beasley seat)

Associate Justice Cheri Beasley ran for election to a full term in her own right after she was appointed to the seat by former Governor Bev Perdue to fill a vacancy.[14]

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.[15] He filed such a request for a recount on Nov. 17.[16] After the recount only added a net 17 votes to Robinson's total, he conceded and Beasley was declared the winner on Nov. 25.[17]

Candidates

Results

Court of Appeals (Robert C. Hunter seat)

The seat held by Judge Robert C. Hunter (not to be confused with his colleague on the Court, Robert N. Hunter, Jr.) was on the ballot. Hunter announced on Aug. 14, 2013, that he would not seek re-election.[19]

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.[20] [21]

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

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		class=small Sample
size		class=small Margin of
error		Lucy
Inman		Bill
Southern		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingSeptember 11–14, 20141,266± 2.8% align=center9%8%— align=center83%

Results

Court of Appeals (Stroud seat)

Judge Donna Stroud ran unopposed for re-election.[22]

Results

Court of Appeals (Davis seat)

Judge Mark A. Davis ran for a full term after serving out the remainder of Judge Cheri Beasley's unexpired term.[23] Beasley was appointed to the Supreme Court.

District Court Judge Paul A. Holcombe also ran for this seat.[24] Paul Holcombe has been a District Court Judge for Johnston, Harnett and Lee Counties since January 2009.[25]

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

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		class=small Sample
size		class=small Margin of
error		Mark A.
Davis		Paul A.
Holcombe		OtherUndecided
Public Policy PollingSeptember 11–14, 20141,266± 2.8% align=center8%7%— align=center85%

Results

Court of Appeals (John C. Martin seat)

On July 9, 2014, Chief Judge John C. 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.[26] 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.[27]

Nineteen candidates filed for the special election.[28] They included former Court of Appeals Judge John Arrowood of Charlotte,[29] Raleigh attorney Betsy Bunting, District Court Judge Lori G. Christian,[30] Raleigh bankruptcy attorney Jeffrey Cook, Raleigh Deputy Industrial Commissioner and former Court of Appeals staff lawyer J. Brad Donovan,[31] Hertford attorney Daniel Patrick Donahue, Raleigh attorney Sabra Faires,[32] former Superior Court judge Abe Jones, New Bern attorney Ann Kirby, Deputy Industrial Commissioner Keischa Lovelace,[33] Raleigh attorney Marty Martin, Haywood County trial attorney Hunter Murphy,[34] Raleigh attorney Joseph "Jody" Newsome, Raleigh attorney Patricia "Tricia" Shields,[35] Raleigh attorney Elizabeth Davenport Scott, former Court of Appeals Judge John M. Tyson of Cumberland County,[36] Brunswick County District Court Judge Marion Warren, Greensboro attorney and former State Board of Elections member Chuck Winfree, and Yadkinville attorney Valerie Johnson Zachary.[37]

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.

Results

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Republicans' Election Night wave: It was big. Tampa Bay Times.
  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. Web site: The New Politics of Judicial Elections, 2013-14 . 2015-10-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160402112736/http://newpoliticsreport.org/report/2013-14/ . 2016-04-02 . dead .
  5. 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
  6. http://www.wwaytv3.com/2014/02/28/ola-lewis-files-to-run-for-nc-supreme-court-chief-justice WWAY-TV
  7. http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2014/PPP_Release_NC_9161118.pdf Public Policy Polling
  8. 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
  9. Web site: NC Court of Appeals Judge Robert N. Hunter, Jr. files paperwork to run for NC Supreme Court . 2013-05-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140903101506/http://www.ncpoliticalnews.com/?p=1151 . 2014-09-03 . dead .
  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. Web site: Snyder, Kryn enter NC Senate race. Staff Report. February 26, 2014 . Salisbury Post.
  12. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/10/23/4409819/meck-judge-levinson-seeks-supreme.html#.Um8QBKPD_IU Charlotte Observer
  13. http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2014/PPP_Release_NC_8201205.pdf Public Policy Polling
  14. 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
  15. http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/11/05/4297504_recount-possible-in-nc-supreme.html?sp=/99/100/&rh=1 News & Observer
  16. 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
  17. Web site: Voting machine problems do not change election outcome. November 25, 2014. WRAL.com.
  18. Web site: Voter Information.
  19. Web site: Judge Robert C. Hunter to retire from NC Court of Appeals. 14 August 2013.
  20. Web site: News & Observer Under the Dome . 2013-08-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140325233252/http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/bob_hunter_retiring_from_nc_appeals_court . 2014-03-25 . dead .
  21. http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/11/13/3368296/surry-county-judge-announces-appeals.html News & Observer: Surry County judge announces appeals court candidacy
  22. Web site: NC State Board of Elections: Candidate filing list . 2014-02-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160126214637/http://www.ncsbe.gov/ncsbe/Portals/0/FilesP/CandidateFilingList.pdf . 2016-01-26 . dead .
  23. Web site: Mark Davis will run to retain his seat on N.C. Court of Appeals. Greensboro News and Record.
  24. Web site: Official Candidate Filings, NC State Board of Elections . 2014-02-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160126214637/http://www.ncsbe.gov/ncsbe/Portals/0/FilesP/CandidateFilingList.pdf . 2016-01-26 . dead .
  25. Web site: Johnston County | North Carolina Judicial Branch. www.nccourts.gov.
  26. Web site: The Associated Press. https://web.archive.org/web/20140726232629/http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/586baf49ad5143cb89a30334e4b55d87/NC--Court-of-Appeals-Martin. dead. July 26, 2014.
  27. 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
  28. Web site: 19 candidates file for N.C. Court of Appeals seat; 5 file for Alamance Superior Court seat.
  29. Web site: Charlotte Observer . 2014-07-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140724171253/http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/07/15/5046244/arrowood-running-for-appeals-court.html#.U8bOH6zoejY . 2014-07-24 . dead .
  30. http://judgepedia.org/Lori_G._Christian Judgepedia
  31. http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/07/24/4027256/industrial-commission-deputy-will.html News & Observer: Industrial Commission deputy will run for appeals court
  32. http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/08/01/4043085/morning-memo.html News & Observer
  33. Web site: N.C. Industrial Commission Deputy Commissioners' Biographies. www.ic.nc.gov.
  34. Web site: Hunter Murphy webpage. HunterMurphyForJudge.com. 2014-09-11. 2014-09-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20140911113923/http://www.huntermurphyforjudge.com/. dead.
  35. Web site: Hedrick Gardner. 10 April 2023.
  36. Web site: NCPoliticalNews.com Judge John Tyson files as Candidate for Judge of Court of Appeals . 2014-08-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141105134507/http://www.ncpoliticalnews.com/?p=10217 . 2014-11-05 . dead .
  37. Web site: State Board of Elections: Special Judicial Candidate List . 2014-08-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140811055023/http://www.ncsbe.gov/ncsbe/Portals/0/FilesP/CandidateFilingList_SpecialJudicial.pdf . 2014-08-11 . dead .

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