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North Carolina local trial court judicial elections, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 12
- Early voting: Oct. 17 - Nov. 3
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: No
- Poll times: 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
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 Trial court elections |
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North Carolina held general elections for local judicial offices on November 6, 2018. Pursuant to a state law adopted in 2018, superior and district court judges participated in partisan primary elections. Due to legislation passed by the General Assembly of North Carolina in 2017 and a series of subsequent lawsuits, judicial primaries were canceled for 2018. To learn more, click here.
Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of elections in America's 100 largest cities by population. This coverage extends to every office on the ballot for residents of these cities, including local trial court judges. In 2018, Ballotpedia covered the following local elections in this state:
- Durham County, North Carolina - District attorney, county sheriff, clerk of court, special district board members, and local judgeships
- Forsyth County, North Carolina - County commissioner, clerk of superior court, county sheriff, district attorney, special district board members, and local judgeships
- Guilford County, North Carolina - County commissioner, clerk of superior court, district attorney, county sheriff, and special district board members
- Mecklenburg County, North Carolina - County commissioner, clerk of superior court, district attorney, county sheriff, special district board members, and local judgeships
- Wake County, North Carolina - County commissioner, clerk of superior court, district attorney, county sheriff, special district board members, and local judgeships
If the above list includes local trial court judgeships, click the links for more information about the elections. Click here to learn more about how the judges in this state are selected. Ballotpedia did not cover all local trial court judicial elections in this state in 2018. Please consider donating to Ballotpedia to help us expand our coverage of these elections.
For more information about the 2018 appellate court elections in the state, click here.
Election dates
- November 6, 2018: General election
Court types
Limited jurisdiction courts
- See also: Partisan election of judges
The North Carolina District Courts hold partisan elections in the selection of judges. District judges serve four-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to continue serving. From 2002 through 2016, elections for district court judges were nonpartisan; however, on March 23, 2017, the North Carolina legislature changed the method of election to partisan elections by overriding Gov. Roy Cooper's (D) veto of HB 100. This change became effective with the 2018 district court elections.[1][2]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:
- licensed to practice law in the state;
- a district resident; and
- under the age of 72 (retirement at 72 is mandatory).[3]
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
Six of 100 North Carolina counties—6 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Bladen County, North Carolina | 9.39% | 1.97% | 2.07% | ||||
| Gates County, North Carolina | 9.07% | 4.11% | 5.22% | ||||
| Granville County, North Carolina | 2.49% | 4.54% | 6.58% | ||||
| Martin County, North Carolina | 0.43% | 4.65% | 4.64% | ||||
| Richmond County, North Carolina | 9.74% | 2.95% | 1.50% | ||||
| Robeson County, North Carolina | 4.27% | 17.41% | 13.78% | ||||
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won North Carolina with 49.8 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 46.2 percent. In presidential elections between 1792 and 2016, North Carolina voted Democratic 53.5 percent of the time and Republican 25 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, North Carolina voted Republican all five times with the exception of the 2008 presidential election.[4]
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in North Carolina. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[5][6]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 40 out of 120 state House districts in North Carolina with an average margin of victory of 38.3 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 44 out of 120 state House districts in North Carolina with an average margin of victory of 36.4 points. Clinton won three districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 80 out of 120 state House districts in North Carolina with an average margin of victory of 22.7 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 76 out of 120 state House districts in North Carolina with an average margin of victory of 27.7 points. Trump won five districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 39.07% | 59.75% | R+20.7 | 32.23% | 64.86% | R+32.6 | R |
| 2 | 45.36% | 53.77% | R+8.4 | 41.98% | 55.70% | R+13.7 | R |
| 3 | 39.50% | 59.71% | R+20.2 | 37.03% | 60.71% | R+23.7 | R |
| 4 | 34.52% | 64.80% | R+30.3 | 32.81% | 65.32% | R+32.5 | R |
| 5 | 66.40% | 33.04% | D+33.4 | 60.73% | 37.68% | D+23.1 | D |
| 6 | 41.31% | 57.70% | R+16.4 | 37.74% | 59.79% | R+22 | R |
| 7 | 61.12% | 38.34% | D+22.8 | 59.67% | 38.69% | D+21 | D |
| 8 | 44.59% | 54.67% | R+10.1 | 44.25% | 53.51% | R+9.3 | R |
| 9 | 43.79% | 55.31% | R+11.5 | 44.05% | 52.81% | R+8.8 | R |
| 10 | 32.61% | 66.71% | R+34.1 | 31.37% | 66.58% | R+35.2 | R |
| 11 | 62.10% | 35.81% | D+26.3 | 65.41% | 29.85% | D+35.6 | D |
| 12 | 57.29% | 42.15% | D+15.1 | 53.64% | 44.58% | D+9.1 | D |
| 13 | 31.14% | 67.96% | R+36.8 | 28.23% | 69.48% | R+41.2 | R |
| 14 | 39.87% | 59.05% | R+19.2 | 35.26% | 61.20% | R+25.9 | R |
| 15 | 34.90% | 63.92% | R+29 | 28.94% | 67.59% | R+38.7 | R |
| 16 | 36.25% | 62.86% | R+26.6 | 31.07% | 66.35% | R+35.3 | R |
| 17 | 36.26% | 62.94% | R+26.7 | 32.62% | 65.00% | R+32.4 | R |
| 18 | 62.39% | 36.46% | D+25.9 | 56.14% | 40.55% | D+15.6 | D |
| 19 | 40.85% | 57.94% | R+17.1 | 41.19% | 55.45% | R+14.3 | R |
| 20 | 39.49% | 59.33% | R+19.8 | 40.58% | 55.60% | R+15 | R |
| 21 | 65.25% | 34.32% | D+30.9 | 62.68% | 35.99% | D+26.7 | D |
| 22 | 43.73% | 55.60% | R+11.9 | 39.83% | 58.67% | R+18.8 | D |
| 23 | 62.89% | 36.74% | D+26.2 | 60.17% | 38.60% | D+21.6 | D |
| 24 | 74.47% | 25.04% | D+49.4 | 72.60% | 25.66% | D+46.9 | D |
| 25 | 38.23% | 60.96% | R+22.7 | 35.91% | 61.84% | R+25.9 | R |
| 26 | 38.98% | 59.91% | R+20.9 | 37.76% | 59.07% | R+21.3 | R |
| 27 | 66.33% | 33.28% | D+33 | 62.75% | 36.15% | D+26.6 | D |
| 28 | 32.52% | 66.58% | R+34.1 | 28.54% | 69.16% | R+40.6 | R |
| 29 | 85.11% | 14.02% | D+71.1 | 88.12% | 9.63% | D+78.5 | D |
| 30 | 70.85% | 28.07% | D+42.8 | 77.30% | 19.61% | D+57.7 | D |
| 31 | 82.65% | 16.65% | D+66 | 83.75% | 14.17% | D+69.6 | D |
| 32 | 65.02% | 34.58% | D+30.4 | 61.76% | 36.76% | D+25 | D |
| 33 | 81.34% | 17.53% | D+63.8 | 81.09% | 15.94% | D+65.2 | D |
| 34 | 62.78% | 35.76% | D+27 | 67.28% | 28.80% | D+38.5 | D |
| 35 | 44.44% | 54.51% | R+10.1 | 47.51% | 49.16% | R+1.7 | R |
| 36 | 44.86% | 53.90% | R+9 | 50.19% | 45.86% | D+4.3 | R |
| 37 | 42.89% | 55.76% | R+12.9 | 44.58% | 51.08% | R+6.5 | R |
| 38 | 78.90% | 20.26% | D+58.6 | 78.47% | 19.01% | D+59.5 | D |
| 39 | 57.12% | 41.74% | D+15.4 | 57.85% | 38.85% | D+19 | D |
| 40 | 46.18% | 52.52% | R+6.3 | 52.39% | 43.60% | D+8.8 | D |
| 41 | 50.04% | 48.63% | D+1.4 | 57.26% | 38.74% | D+18.5 | D |
| 42 | 73.16% | 26.19% | D+47 | 71.85% | 25.66% | D+46.2 | D |
| 43 | 67.66% | 31.73% | D+35.9 | 64.79% | 32.77% | D+32 | D |
| 44 | 51.66% | 47.45% | D+4.2 | 50.97% | 45.97% | D+5 | D |
| 45 | 43.67% | 55.55% | R+11.9 | 39.47% | 57.82% | R+18.3 | R |
| 46 | 42.45% | 56.86% | R+14.4 | 35.55% | 63.04% | R+27.5 | R |
| 47 | 58.64% | 40.32% | D+18.3 | 45.40% | 52.38% | R+7 | D |
| 48 | 67.88% | 31.42% | D+36.5 | 60.08% | 38.08% | D+22 | D |
| 49 | 46.75% | 52.19% | R+5.4 | 54.02% | 42.19% | D+11.8 | D |
| 50 | 57.85% | 40.99% | D+16.9 | 58.33% | 38.67% | D+19.7 | D |
| 51 | 40.42% | 58.52% | R+18.1 | 36.86% | 60.20% | R+23.3 | R |
| 52 | 36.18% | 63.11% | R+26.9 | 34.94% | 62.15% | R+27.2 | R |
| 53 | 40.43% | 58.68% | R+18.2 | 37.83% | 59.61% | R+21.8 | R |
| 54 | 52.55% | 46.52% | D+6 | 53.78% | 43.36% | D+10.4 | D |
| 55 | 39.63% | 59.55% | R+19.9 | 33.67% | 64.12% | R+30.5 | R |
| 56 | 76.58% | 21.93% | D+54.7 | 81.22% | 15.78% | D+65.4 | D |
| 57 | 73.72% | 25.56% | D+48.2 | 73.89% | 23.97% | D+49.9 | D |
| 58 | 77.83% | 21.42% | D+56.4 | 78.39% | 19.21% | D+59.2 | D |
| 59 | 40.94% | 58.07% | R+17.1 | 43.10% | 54.02% | R+10.9 | R |
| 60 | 78.79% | 20.56% | D+58.2 | 77.66% | 20.26% | D+57.4 | D |
| 61 | 41.22% | 57.90% | R+16.7 | 43.79% | 53.30% | R+9.5 | R |
| 62 | 43.41% | 55.66% | R+12.2 | 46.55% | 50.23% | R+3.7 | R |
| 63 | 43.77% | 55.31% | R+11.5 | 43.91% | 53.48% | R+9.6 | R |
| 64 | 41.50% | 57.66% | R+16.2 | 40.64% | 56.88% | R+16.2 | R |
| 65 | 39.24% | 59.93% | R+20.7 | 34.18% | 63.90% | R+29.7 | R |
| 66 | 50.14% | 49.07% | D+1.1 | 44.86% | 52.75% | R+7.9 | D |
| 67 | 31.16% | 67.81% | R+36.6 | 25.66% | 72.18% | R+46.5 | R |
| 68 | 36.03% | 63.07% | R+27 | 36.68% | 59.73% | R+23.1 | R |
| 69 | 36.47% | 62.53% | R+26.1 | 34.32% | 62.55% | R+28.2 | R |
| 70 | 25.89% | 73.02% | R+47.1 | 22.47% | 75.21% | R+52.7 | R |
| 71 | 73.71% | 25.48% | D+48.2 | 72.37% | 24.90% | D+47.5 | D |
| 72 | 70.87% | 28.46% | D+42.4 | 72.50% | 24.96% | D+47.5 | D |
| 73 | 25.05% | 73.49% | R+48.4 | 19.25% | 78.41% | R+59.2 | R |
| 74 | 39.29% | 59.69% | R+20.4 | 40.06% | 56.70% | R+16.6 | R |
| 75 | 42.46% | 56.51% | R+14.1 | 44.27% | 52.43% | R+8.2 | R |
| 76 | 32.63% | 66.25% | R+33.6 | 26.49% | 71.30% | R+44.8 | R |
| 77 | 37.74% | 61.25% | R+23.5 | 32.03% | 65.52% | R+33.5 | R |
| 78 | 24.09% | 74.93% | R+50.8 | 19.67% | 78.28% | R+58.6 | R |
| 79 | 33.69% | 65.34% | R+31.7 | 33.43% | 63.34% | R+29.9 | R |
| 80 | 26.50% | 72.43% | R+45.9 | 22.95% | 74.61% | R+51.7 | R |
| 81 | 31.87% | 67.00% | R+35.1 | 25.84% | 71.60% | R+45.8 | R |
| 82 | 41.86% | 57.06% | R+15.2 | 43.08% | 53.51% | R+10.4 | R |
| 83 | 40.29% | 58.67% | R+18.4 | 38.03% | 59.11% | R+21.1 | R |
| 84 | 34.47% | 64.56% | R+30.1 | 29.74% | 68.05% | R+38.3 | R |
| 85 | 29.12% | 69.71% | R+40.6 | 22.21% | 75.83% | R+53.6 | R |
| 86 | 38.15% | 60.64% | R+22.5 | 30.31% | 67.09% | R+36.8 | R |
| 87 | 31.49% | 67.12% | R+35.6 | 23.47% | 74.16% | R+50.7 | R |
| 88 | 45.63% | 53.22% | R+7.6 | 54.80% | 40.57% | D+14.2 | D |
| 89 | 32.82% | 66.05% | R+33.2 | 26.16% | 71.32% | R+45.2 | R |
| 90 | 30.65% | 68.17% | R+37.5 | 23.14% | 74.57% | R+51.4 | R |
| 91 | 35.21% | 63.69% | R+28.5 | 28.79% | 68.75% | R+40 | R |
| 92 | 52.61% | 46.42% | D+6.2 | 55.42% | 40.77% | D+14.7 | D |
| 93 | 42.77% | 55.22% | R+12.5 | 41.58% | 54.48% | R+12.9 | R |
| 94 | 29.16% | 69.58% | R+40.4 | 22.48% | 75.35% | R+52.9 | R |
| 95 | 34.05% | 64.95% | R+30.9 | 30.76% | 66.16% | R+35.4 | R |
| 96 | 36.56% | 62.36% | R+25.8 | 33.21% | 63.78% | R+30.6 | R |
| 97 | 30.07% | 68.92% | R+38.9 | 24.95% | 72.61% | R+47.7 | R |
| 98 | 43.13% | 55.96% | R+12.8 | 47.37% | 48.84% | R+1.5 | R |
| 99 | 82.32% | 17.15% | D+65.2 | 80.97% | 16.82% | D+64.1 | D |
| 100 | 73.70% | 25.10% | D+48.6 | 73.96% | 22.47% | D+51.5 | D |
| 101 | 74.92% | 24.37% | D+50.6 | 75.11% | 22.40% | D+52.7 | D |
| 102 | 83.35% | 15.90% | D+67.4 | 80.04% | 16.78% | D+63.3 | D |
| 103 | 44.46% | 54.49% | R+10 | 47.72% | 49.05% | R+1.3 | R |
| 104 | 43.47% | 55.67% | R+12.2 | 52.29% | 43.74% | D+8.5 | R |
| 105 | 42.40% | 56.77% | R+14.4 | 49.86% | 46.71% | D+3.1 | R |
| 106 | 85.84% | 13.48% | D+72.4 | 84.91% | 13.08% | D+71.8 | D |
| 107 | 80.29% | 18.93% | D+61.4 | 78.80% | 18.56% | D+60.2 | D |
| 108 | 38.42% | 60.50% | R+22.1 | 34.04% | 63.24% | R+29.2 | R |
| 109 | 40.80% | 58.27% | R+17.5 | 37.73% | 59.48% | R+21.7 | R |
| 110 | 35.30% | 63.74% | R+28.4 | 30.10% | 67.87% | R+37.8 | R |
| 111 | 35.81% | 63.24% | R+27.4 | 29.81% | 68.35% | R+38.5 | R |
| 112 | 32.80% | 66.12% | R+33.3 | 24.47% | 73.43% | R+49 | R |
| 113 | 37.58% | 61.29% | R+23.7 | 34.83% | 62.59% | R+27.8 | R |
| 114 | 73.38% | 25.18% | D+48.2 | 73.93% | 23.07% | D+50.9 | D |
| 115 | 48.12% | 50.52% | R+2.4 | 47.29% | 49.54% | R+2.2 | D |
| 116 | 43.61% | 55.12% | R+11.5 | 44.41% | 52.24% | R+7.8 | D |
| 117 | 36.77% | 62.07% | R+25.3 | 35.57% | 61.42% | R+25.8 | R |
| 118 | 41.50% | 57.02% | R+15.5 | 32.52% | 64.60% | R+32.1 | R |
| 119 | 47.93% | 50.40% | R+2.5 | 40.80% | 55.45% | R+14.7 | R |
| 120 | 30.12% | 68.56% | R+38.4 | 23.73% | 73.79% | R+50.1 | R |
| Total | 48.48% | 50.53% | R+2 | 46.76% | 50.46% | R+3.7 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
See also
| Local courts | North Carolina | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|
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 |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The News & Observer, "Veto override means voters will know judges’ party affiliations," March 23, 2017
- ↑ General Assembly of North Carolina, "House Bill 100," accessed May 5, 2017
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: North Carolina," archived October 3, 2014
- ↑ 270towin.com, "North Carolina," accessed June 1, 2017
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
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
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