North Carolina Court of Appeals

North Carolina Court of Appeals building

The North Carolina Court of Appeals is the only intermediate appellate court in the state of North Carolina. The court has 15 judges who rotate, hearing cases in panels of three. Judges serve eight-year terms and are elected in statewide partisan elections.

If one judge on a three-judge panel dissents, the case may be appealed to the North Carolina Supreme Court. The supreme court may accept other cases for review at its discretion.

The court of appeals decides questions of law, not fact, in reviewing cases from the trial courts. The court hears all civil and criminal appeals from the superior and district courts, except for cases in which the death penalty is imposed. Death penalty sentences are appealed directly to the supreme court.

• Published opinions of the North Carolina Court of Appeals can be found here.

 

North Carolina Court of Appeals
Court information
Judges:	15
Salary:	Associates: $189,621
Judicial selection
Method:	Partisan election of judges
Term:	8 years

Judges

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
Christopher A. Freeman	January 1, 2025 - Present
Valerie Johnson Zachary	2015 - Present	Pat McCrory
Jefferson Griffin	January 1, 2021 - Present	Elected
Thomas Murry	January 1, 2025 - Present
Michael Stading	January 1, 2023 - Present	Elected
John Marsh Tyson	January 1, 2015 - Present	Elected
Donna Stroud	January 2, 2007 - Present	Elected
Julee Flood	January 1, 2023 - Present	Elected
Jeffery Carpenter	January 1, 2021 - Present	Elected
Chris Dillon	January 1, 2013 - Present	Elected
Willie Fred Gore	January 1, 2021 - Present	Elected
April C. Wood	January 1, 2021 - Present	Elected
Allegra Collins	January 1, 2019 - Present	Elected
Toby Hampson	January 1, 2019 - Present	Elected
John S. Arrowood	2017 - Present	Roy Cooper

Salary

See also: North Carolina court salaries and budgets

In 2025, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $189,621, according to the National Center for State Courts.

Judicial selection

See also: Judicial selection in North Carolina

The 15 judges of the North Carolina Court of Appeals are chosen through partisan elections. Judges are elected to eight-year terms and must face re-election if they wish to serve again. These elections were nonpartisan from 2004 until a law passed in 2016 made them partisan again, beginning in 2018.

Qualifications

To serve on this court, a person must be licensed to practice law in North Carolina. There is a mandatory retirement age of 72 years.

Chief judge

The chief judge of the court of appeals is selected by the chief justice of the supreme court to serve indefinitely.

Vacancies

In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a successor to serve until the next general election which is held more than 60 days after the vacancy occurs. The governor must select an appointee from a list of three recommendations provided by the executive committee of the political party with which the vacating judge was affiliated. An election is then held for a full eight-year term.

Elections

• 2030
• 2028
• 2026
• 2024
• 2022
• 2020
• 2018

See also: North Carolina intermediate appellate court elections, 2030

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 8

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 9

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 10

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 11

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

See also: North Carolina intermediate appellate court elections, 2028

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 4

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 5

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 6

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 7

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 13

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

See also: North Carolina intermediate appellate court elections, 2026

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 1

General election

The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 1

Incumbent John S. Arrowood (D) is running in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 1 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		John S. Arrowood (D)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled. Incumbent John S. Arrowood (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 1 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 1

Michael Byrne (R) and Matt Smith (R) are running in the Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 1 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Michael Byrne
		Matt Smith

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 2

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 2

Incumbent Toby Hampson (D) and George Bell (R) are running in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 2 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Toby Hampson (D)
		George Bell (R)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled. Incumbent Toby Hampson (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 2 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled. George Bell (R) advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 2 without appearing on the ballot.

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 3

General election

The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 3

Craig Collins (R) is running in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 3 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Craig Collins (R)

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 3

Christine Walczyk (D) and James Whalen (D) are running in the Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 3 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Christine Walczyk
	Submit photo	James Whalen

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled. Craig Collins (R) advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 3 without appearing on the ballot.

See also: North Carolina intermediate appellate court elections, 2024

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 12

General election

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 12

Thomas Murry (R) defeated incumbent Carolyn J. Thompson (D) in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 12 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Thomas Murry (R)	50.9	2,809,458
		Carolyn J. Thompson (D)	49.1	2,710,863

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,520,321
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 5, 2024, was canceled. Incumbent Carolyn J. Thompson (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 12 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 5, 2024, was canceled. Thomas Murry (R) advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 12 without appearing on the ballot.

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 14

General election

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 14

Incumbent Valerie Johnson Zachary (R) defeated Ed Eldred (D) in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 14 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Valerie Johnson Zachary (R)	52.3	2,879,049
		Ed Eldred (D)	47.7	2,628,453

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,507,502
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 5, 2024, was canceled. Ed Eldred (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 14 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 5, 2024, was canceled. Incumbent Valerie Johnson Zachary (R) advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 14 without appearing on the ballot.

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 15

General election

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 15

Christopher A. Freeman (R) defeated Martin Moore (D) in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 15 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Christopher A. Freeman (R)	51.7	2,844,286
		Martin Moore (D)	48.3	2,654,765

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,499,051
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 5, 2024, was canceled. Martin Moore (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 15 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 15

Christopher A. Freeman (R) defeated incumbent Hunter Murphy (R) in the Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 15 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Christopher A. Freeman	62.6	532,794
		Hunter Murphy	37.4	317,807

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 850,601
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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See also: North Carolina intermediate appellate court elections, 2022

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 8

General election

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 8

Julee Flood (R) defeated Carolyn J. Thompson (D) in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 8 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Julee Flood (R)	52.4	1,956,550
		Carolyn J. Thompson (D)	47.6	1,775,943

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,732,493
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for May 17, 2022, was canceled. Carolyn J. Thompson (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 8 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for May 17, 2022, was canceled. Julee Flood (R) advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 8 without appearing on the ballot.

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 9

General election

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 9

Incumbent Donna Stroud (R) defeated Brad Salmon (D) in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 9 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Donna Stroud (R)	54.4	2,029,025
		Brad Salmon (D)	45.6	1,700,597

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,729,622
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for May 17, 2022, was canceled. Brad Salmon (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 9 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 9

Incumbent Donna Stroud (R) defeated Beth Freshwater Smith (R) in the Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 9 on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Donna Stroud	59.3	400,119
		Beth Freshwater Smith	40.7	274,861

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 674,980
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 10

General election

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 10

Incumbent John Marsh Tyson (R) defeated Gale M. Adams (D) in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 10 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Marsh Tyson (R)	52.7	1,967,192
		Gale M. Adams (D)	47.3	1,762,793

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,729,985
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for May 17, 2022, was canceled. Gale M. Adams (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 10 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for May 17, 2022, was canceled. Incumbent John Marsh Tyson (R) advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 10 without appearing on the ballot.

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 11

General election

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 11

Michael Stading (R) defeated incumbent Darren Jackson (D) in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 11 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael Stading (R)	52.9	1,968,517
		Darren Jackson (D)	47.1	1,755,982

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,724,499
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for May 17, 2022, was canceled. Incumbent Darren Jackson (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 11 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 11

Michael Stading (R) defeated Charlton L. Allen (R) in the Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 11 on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael Stading	70.8	469,419
	Submit photo	Charlton L. Allen	29.2	194,022

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 663,441
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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See also: North Carolina intermediate appellate court elections, 2020

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 4

General election

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 4

April C. Wood (R) defeated Tricia Shields (D) in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 4 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		April C. Wood (R)	51.8	2,767,469
		Tricia Shields (D)	48.2	2,577,013

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,344,482
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2020, was canceled. Tricia Shields (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 4 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2020, was canceled. April C. Wood (R) advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 4 without appearing on the ballot.

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 5

General election

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 5

Willie Fred Gore (R) defeated Lora Cubbage (D) in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 5 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Willie Fred Gore (R)	51.3	2,735,952
		Lora Cubbage (D)	48.7	2,600,632

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,336,584
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2020, was canceled. Lora Cubbage (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 5 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2020, was canceled. Willie Fred Gore (R) advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 5 without appearing on the ballot.

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 6

General election

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 6

Incumbent Chris Dillon (R) defeated Gray Styers (D) in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 6 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chris Dillon (R)	52.0	2,769,020
		Gray Styers (D)	48.0	2,561,090

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,330,110
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2020, was canceled. Gray Styers (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 6 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2020, was canceled. Incumbent Chris Dillon (R) advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 6 without appearing on the ballot.

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 7

General election

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 7

Jeffery Carpenter (R) defeated incumbent Reuben Young (D) in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 7 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jeffery Carpenter (R)	51.6	2,747,109
		Reuben Young (D)	48.4	2,578,035

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,325,144
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2020, was canceled. Incumbent Reuben Young (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 7 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2020, was canceled. Jeffery Carpenter (R) advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 7 without appearing on the ballot.

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 13

General election

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 13

Jefferson Griffin (R) defeated incumbent Chris Brook (D) in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 13 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jefferson Griffin (R)	51.2	2,720,503
		Chris Brook (D)	48.8	2,597,573

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,318,076
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2020, was canceled. Incumbent Chris Brook (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 13 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2020, was canceled. Jefferson Griffin (R) advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 13 without appearing on the ballot.

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 1

General election

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 1

Incumbent John S. Arrowood (D) defeated Andrew Heath (R) in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 1 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John S. Arrowood (D)	50.8	1,855,728
		Andrew Heath (R)	49.2	1,797,929

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,653,657 (100% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 2

General election

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 2

Toby Hampson (D) defeated Jefferson Griffin (R) and Sandra Ray (R) in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 2 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Toby Hampson (D)	48.8	1,766,470
		Jefferson Griffin (R)	35.7	1,293,098
		Sandra Ray (R)	15.5	561,015

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,620,583 (100% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 3

General election

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 3

Allegra Collins (D) defeated Chuck Kitchen (R) and Michael Monaco (L) in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 3 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Allegra Collins (D)	48.6	1,773,702
	Submit photo	Chuck Kitchen (R)	46.8	1,709,847
	Submit photo	Michael Monaco (L)	4.6	167,773

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,651,322 (100% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Previous election results

2016

November general election candidates

Five seats were up for election. Though North Carolina judicial elections were nonpartisan at the time of the November 2016 election, court of appeals candidates declared their party affiliations upon filing, and their party affiliations appeared on the ballot as of 2015. Parties did not nominate the candidates, and if a primary was held because more than two candidates filed, that primary was not to narrow the candidates to one candidate from each party. Instead, the top two finishers, regardless of party, advanced to the general election. In 2016, no primary was held for the court of appeals elections, since not more than two candidates each filed to run for the seats held by Dietz, Hunter, Stephens, and Zachary. The Geer seat was not vacant for election until after the regular March primary.

Dietz seat

■ Richard Dietz (R) (Incumbent)
■ Vince M. Rozier Jr. (D)

Hunter seat

■ Robert N. Hunter Jr. (R) (Incumbent)
■ Abe Jones (D)

Stephens seat

■ Linda Stephens (D) (Incumbent)
■ Phil Berger Jr. (R)

Zachary seat

■ Valerie J. Zachary (R) (Incumbent)
■ Rickye McKoy-Mitchell (D)

Geer seat

Judge Martha Geer stepped down from her seat in May.
Her seat was up for election in November 2016.

■ Hunter Murphy (R)
■ Donald R. Buie (D)
■ Margaret P. Eagles (D)

Election results

November 8 general election

Incumbent Richard Dietz defeated Vince M. Rozier, Jr. in the general election for the North Carolina Court of Appeals, Dietz seat.

North Carolina Court of Appeals, Dietz seat, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Richard Dietz Incumbent	53.47%	2,353,604
Vince M. Rozier, Jr.	46.53%	2,048,367
Total Votes (2,704 of 2,704: 100%)		4,401,971
Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections Official Results

Incumbent Robert N. Hunter, Jr. defeated Abraham P. Jones in the general election for the North Carolina Court of Appeals, Hunter seat.

North Carolina Court of Appeals, Hunter seat, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Robert N. Hunter, Jr. Incumbent	54.37%	2,403,059
Abraham P. Jones	45.63%	2,016,552
Total Votes (2,704 of 2,704: 100%)		4,419,611
Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections Official Results

Phil Berger Jr. defeated incumbent Linda Stephens in the general election for the North Carolina Court of Appeals, Stephens seat.

North Carolina Court of Appeals, Stephens seat, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Phil Berger Jr.	50.25%	2,233,730
Linda Stephens Incumbent	49.75%	2,211,631
Total Votes (2,704 of 2,704: 100%)		4,445,361
Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections Official Results

Incumbent Valerie Johnson Zachary defeated Rickye McKoy-Mitchell in the general election for the North Carolina Court of Appeals, Zachary seat.

North Carolina Court of Appeals, Zachary seat, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Valerie Johnson Zachary Incumbent	53.81%	2,361,232
Rickye McKoy-Mitchell	46.19%	2,027,078
Total Votes (2,704 of 2,704: 100%)		4,388,310
Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections Official Results

Hunter Murphy defeated Margaret P. Eagles and Donald R. Buie in the general election for the North Carolina Court of Appeals, Geer seat.

North Carolina Court of Appeals, Geer seat, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Hunter Murphy	48.70%	2,159,193
Margaret P. Eagles	45.60%	2,021,769
Donald R. Buie	5.70%	252,756
Total Votes (2,704 of 2,704: 100%)		4,433,718
Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections Official Results

2014

Davis Seat

Candidate	Incumbency	Primary Vote	Election Vote
HolcombePaul A. Holcombe	No		41.2%   D
DavisMark A. DavisA	Yes		58.8%   A

Hunter Seat

Candidate	Incumbency	Primary Vote	Election Vote
SouthernWilliam F. Southern, III	No		48.1%   D
InmanLucy N. InmanA	No		51.9%   A

Unopposed	Judge Donna Stroud (Stroud Seat)

Martin seat, special election

Candidate	Incumbency	Primary Vote	Election Vote
DonovanJ. Brad Donovan	No		1.3%   D
NewsomeJody Newsome	No		1.7%   D
ArrowoodJohn S. Arrowood	No		14.4%   D
ChristianLori G. Christian	No		3.8%   D
Johnson ZacharyValerie Johnson Zachary	No		4%   D
MurphyHunter Murphy	No		4.4%   D
WarrenMarion R. Warren	No		6.1%   D
JonesAbraham P. Jones	No		2.6%   D
FairesSabra Jean Faires	No		1.4%   D
TysonJohn Marsh TysonA	No		23.8%   A
BuntingBetsy Bunting	No		1.6%   D
CookJeffrey M. Cook	No		2.1%   D
DonahueDaniel Patrick Donahue	No		2.8%   D
KirbyAnn Kirby	No		4.1%   D
LovelaceKeischa Lovelace	No		9.7%   D
MartinMarty Martin (North Carolina)	No		5.1%   D
ShieldsTricia Shields	No		3.4%   D
Davenport ScottElizabeth Davenport Scott	No		5.6%   D
WinfreeChuck Winfree	No		2.3%   D

2012

Candidate	Incumbency	Office	Primary Vote	Election Vote
DillonChris Dillon   A	No			52.7%   A
ThigpenCressie Thigpen	Yes			47.3%   A
RobinsonDavid S. Robinson	No	McGee Seat		38.8%   A
McGeeLinda McGee   A	Yes			61.2%   A
McGeeMartin B. McGee	No			43.5%   A
BryantWanda Bryant   A	Yes			56.6%   A

Ethics

The North Carolina Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in North Carolina. It is composed of seven canons:

• Canon 1: "A judge should uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary."
• Canon 2: "A judge should avoid impropriety in all the judge’s activities."
• Canon 3: "A judge should perform the duties of the judge’s office impartially and diligently."
• Canon 4: "A judge may participate in cultural or historical activities or engage in activities concerning the legal, economic, educational, or governmental system, or the administration of justice."
• Canon 5: "A judge should regulate the judge’s extra-judicial activities to ensure that they do not prevent the judge from carrying out the judge’s judicial duties."
• Canon 6: "A judge should regularly file reports of compensation received for quasi-judicial and extra-judicial activities."
• Canon 7: "A judge may engage in political activity consistent with the judge’s status as a public official."

The full text of the North Carolina Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here.

Removal of judges

Judges in North Carolina may be removed in one of three ways:

• Impeachment by the house of representatives and conviction by a two-thirds vote of the senate.
• In case of mental or physical incapacity, by joint resolution of two-thirds of the members of each house of the general assembly.
• By the supreme court, on the recommendation of the judicial standards commission. (The supreme court may choose to merely censure the judge.)

State profile

Demographic data for North Carolina
	North Carolina	U.S.
Total population:	10,035,186	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	48,618	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	69.5%	73.6%
Black/African American:	21.5%	12.6%
Asian:	2.5%	5.1%
Native American:	1.2%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.1%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.4%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	8.8%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	85.8%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	28.4%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$46,868	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	20.5%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in North Carolina. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in North Carolina

North Carolina voted Republican in six out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, six are located in North Carolina, accounting for 2.91 percent of the total pivot counties.

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. North Carolina had six Retained Pivot Counties, 3.31 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.

More North Carolina coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in North Carolina
• United States congressional delegations from North Carolina
• Public policy in North Carolina
• Endorsers in North Carolina
• North Carolina fact checks
• More...

See also

North Carolina	Judicial Selection	More Courts
Courts in North Carolina North Carolina Court of Appeals North Carolina Supreme Court	Elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 Gubernatorial appointments Judicial selection in North Carolina	Federal courts State courts Local courts

External links

• North Carolina Judicial Branch, "Court of Appeals of North Carolina"

Footnotes

State intermediate appellate courts

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