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North Carolina judicial elections, 2012
The North Carolina judicial elections consisted of a primary on May 8th and general election on November 6th.[1]
North Carolina judicial elections summary, 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Seats up for election
The judges in the tables below have seats that were up for election in 2012.
Supreme Court
| Candidate | Incumbency | Office | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Paul Martin Newby  | Yes | 51.90% | ||
| Sam Ervin | No | 48.10%  |
Court of Appeals
| Candidate | Incumbency | Office | Primary Vote | Election Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Dillon | No | 52.7% | ||
| Cressie Thigpen | Yes | 47.3% | ||
| David S. Robinson | No | McGee Seat | 38.8% | |
| Linda McGee | Yes | 61.2% | ||
| Martin B. McGee | No | 43.5% | ||
| Wanda Bryant | Yes | 56.6% |
Superior Courts
- For Superior Court judicial elections, please visit: North Carolina judicial elections, 2012 - Superior Court
District Courts
- For District Court judicial elections, please visit: North Carolina judicial elections, 2012 - District Court
Ballot measures
Proposed
The North Carolina Appellate Court Term and Vacancy Amendment (2012) was a proposed legislatively-referred constitutional amendment which did not make the ballot. The measure sought to allow Appellate judges to serve until a second general election after appointment; vacancies on appellate courts would be filled by the governor.[2]
The North Carolina Appointment of Magistrates Amendment (2012) was a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment which did not make the ballot. The measure sought to allow for magistrates to be appointed by the chief District Court judge.[2]
The North Carolina Judicial Appointment Amendment (2012) was a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment which did not make the ballot. The measure sought to replace the present method of selecting Justices and Judges of the Appellate Division and Judges of the Superior Court by gubernatorial appointment.[2]
The North Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Appointment Amendment (2012) was a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment which did not make the ballot. The measure sought to reform the process of selecting Justices of the Supreme Court and Judges of the Court of Appeals.[2]
In the news
North Carolina election recap, 2012
North Carolina: In the Supreme Court race between incumbent Paul Martin Newby and Sam Ervin, Justice Newby won. With Newby's re-election, Republicans held majority control of the court 4-3.
In the Court of Appeals races, incumbent Judge Cressie Thigpen lost to Raleigh-based lawyer Chris Dillon. Thigpen has served on the court since 2010 and has been appointed twice.
On the trial court level, 10 incumbents were defeated: Superior Court judges Alexander Mendaloff and Abraham P. Jones and District Court judges Kirby Smith, Thomas Taylor, Cheryl Spencer, Lonnie Carraway, John Totten, Charles Bullock, Polly Sizemore, Erin Graber. However, the majority of Superior and District Court incumbents (149, to be exact) won re-election and most of them were unopposed.
Dillon defeats incumbent for Court of Appeals seat
As featured in JP Election Brief: Highlights of the 2012 judicial elections on November 15, 2012
Voters elected Chris Dillon to the North Carolina Court of Appeals over incumbent Judge Cressie Thigpen. With approximately 53% of the vote, the Raleigh-based lawyer will serve an eight-year term beginning on November 6, 2012.
Dillon also ran for a position on the same court in 2010, but was unsuccessful. Thigpen has served on the court since 2010 and has been appointed twice.
Though North Carolina races are nonpartisan, Dillon's victory is considered a Republican win. Thigpen and his fellow incumbents Linda McGee and Wanda Bryant are all known Democrats while Dillon and the other challengers were supported by Republicans.[3]
North Carolina Supreme Court race
As featured in JP Election Brief: The Supreme Court Special on October 18, 2012.
In this year's North Carolina Supreme Court election, the Republican-backed incumbent, Justice Paul Martin Newby, is challenged by Democrat-endorsed Sam Ervin. The political balance favored conservatives 4-3.
Candidate's views
| “ | For the last eight years it has been my privilege to serve our State as a Justice on the Supreme Court. I have strived to fairly, impartially, and consistently apply the law in every case. I have a reputation of being a hard-working, honest, thoughtful Justice earning widespread bipartisan support, including endorsements from four former Chief Justices, two of each party, as well as from law enforcement, legal, and business groups.[4] -Paul Martin Newby[5] |
” |
North Carolina candidates speak at forum
Raleigh, North Carolina: On September 26, the eight candidates seeking election to the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals this year gathered to discuss their qualifications. The forum was hosted by the Triangle Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society and was located in downtown Raleigh.
The candidates in attendance were:
- Supreme Court: Paul Martin Newby and Sam Ervin
- Court of Appeals: Cressie Thigpen, Chris Dillon, Martin B. McGee, Wanda Bryant, David S. Robinson and Linda McGee.
The candidates said they possessed the judicial quality of fairness and declined to comment on controversial issues.
Newby and Ervin discussed campaign spending. Newby has been financially backed by Civitas Action and a super PAC called the North Carolina Judicial Coalition. Ervin said,
| “ | I raise the question as to what impact such expenditures have on the public perception of the impartiality of the judiciary.[6][5] | ” |
In North Carolina, the state helps finance judicial campaigns. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled, however, that candidates who already receive a large amount of financial support from an independent group are not eligible for extra state funds. Newby said the contributions he's received were legitimate, stating,
| “ | I certainly am a proponent of free speech, particularly political free speech...I don't know anything about these PACs except of what I read in the paper. I'm hoping that whoever they may be will simply help folks just know who we are because again, this race is about qualifications.[5] | ” |
See also
External links
- North Carolina Center for Voter Education: 2012 North Carolina Voter Guide
- WFAE 90.7, "Judicial Elections Put Voters - And Judges - In A Bind ," April 13, 2012
- hickoryrecord.com, "Sam Ervin files for NC SC," February 22, 12 (dead link)
- yourdailyjournal.com, "Candidates continue to file for election," February 16, 12 (dead link)
- luminanews.com, "Primary election filing begins," February 15, 2012
- Reflector.com, "Retirement opens judicial seat," February 7, 2012
- TheTimesNews.com, "Judges refuse to delay N.C. primary," January 20, 2012 (dead link)
- BlueRidgeNow.com, "Judges refuse to delay NC primary amid lawsuits," January 20, 2012 (dead link)
- North Carolina State Board of Elections, Elected Judges and Term Expiration Dates
Footnotes
- ↑ Politics1, Online Guide to Montana Politics
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Carolina Journal, "Here Come The Amendments," September 2, 2011
- ↑ Charlotte Observer, "NC Court of Appeals: McGee, Bryant stay on; Dillon ousts Thigpen," November 7, 2012 (dead link)
- ↑ Information submitted to Judgepedia by Justice Newby's campaign via email on 10/7/2012
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 NECN, "NC state judicial candidates gather for forum," September 26, 2012
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Federal courts:
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina
State courts:
Supreme Court of North Carolina • North Carolina Court of Appeals • North Carolina Superior Courts • North Carolina District Courts
State resources:
Courts in North Carolina • North Carolina judicial elections • Judicial selection in North Carolina
