Gray Styers

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Gray Styers

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Wake Forest University, 1985

Law

University of North Carolina School of Law

Graduate

UNC Kenan-Flager Graduate School of Business

Personal

Birthplace

Hickory, NC

Religion

Christian: Moravian

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign X

Personal Facebook

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Gray Styers (Democratic Party) ran for election for the Seat 6 judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Styers completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Gray Styers was born in Hickory, North Carolina. He earned a bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University in 1985, a master's degree from the UNC Kenan-Flager Graduate School of Business, and a J.D. from the UNC School of Law. Styers’s career experience includes working as an attorney, judicial clerk, and law professor.

Elections

2020

See also: North Carolina intermediate appellate court elections, 2020

General election

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 6

Incumbent Chris Dillon defeated Gray Styers 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

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,330,110
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Gray Styers advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 6.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Chris Dillon advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 6.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Gray Styers completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Styers' responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I began my legal career in Morganton as a judicial clerk for Sam J. Ervin, III. Judge Ervin instilled in me a respect for the rule of law, an appreciation for the role of judges, and an understanding of how our courts are essential to the protection of our rights, the preservation of an orderly society, and the necessary checks and balances of our government. Since then, I have practiced law for almost thirty year, in large firms and small. Through the many cases I have handled, as an adjunct law professor, and as a leader in the profession, I have studied and observed the work of judges in deciding hard cases, carefully crafting legal opinions, and shaping the jurisprudence of our state. I understand the importance of our courts and worry about declining public confidence in the impartiality and independence of our judges.

I grew up in Hickory, the son of a school teacher, and have lived and served in North Carolina my entire life. I have traveled its highways and byways. There are few counties in which I have not litigated a case, appeared before a town council or county board of commissioners or helped develop an infrastructure project. I attended Wake Forest University as an undergraduate and the UNC School of Law.

I have a wonderful wife, Barbara, and two grown children.

I love the state and its people and hope to now be able to serve you as a judge on the Court of Appeals

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Legal cases are about real people with real legal issues, not about abstract legal theories, and they have real consequences to the parties and to the State
• The rule of law is essential to a free society and will be the lodestar of my decision-making
• I will be a fair and independent judge, not captive to any particular interest or ideology

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

From my parents - a public school teacher and a librarian assistant - and many other role models, I learned the importance of public service and giving back to the community. I love my home state and its people. I have striven - through both my legal work and my volunteer service - to contribute to the economic opportunities, the quality of life, and the freedoms that we enjoy.

I know how critical it is to protect the rule of law so there is a chance for everyone to live a safe, fulfilling and meaningful life. That is why I am running as a Democratic candidate for the Dillon seat on the Court of Appeals.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

John Sanders, the former Director of the UNC School of Government, was an early mentor and role model who instilled in me an interest in public service and government.

The first campaign that I was involved in was for North Carolina Governor James B. Hunt. I greatly admired Governor Hunt's tireless advocacy for education and for economic opportunities across the state.

Judge Sam J. Ervin, III, for whom I worked as a judicial clerk after law school, was a father figure whose wisdom has guided me throughout my career.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job after law school was as a Judicial Clerk for Judge Sam J. Ervin III on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Judge Ervin would say, "Never forget; our cases are about real people with real issues, not about abstract legal theories." During that time in Morganton, I also spent hours in the personal library of his father, Senator Sam J. Ervin, Jr., looking through the books that informed his life and leadership of the Senate during troubled times. I have carried those lessons with me throughout my career as an attorney in North Carolina

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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