Meet Your 6 NC Judicial Candidates!
Meet them today in this post -- and then on Sunday, July 10, on Zoom where you can ask them questions
I am alarmed by the U. S. Supreme Court’s recent disregard for the well-being of most Americans. Their assault on our rights makes the election of judges in every state tremendously important in 2022.
Our North Carolina Supreme Court Justices are chosen by partisan election. This year the NC Supreme Court is made up of 4 Democrats and 3 Republicans. Two Justices’ terms expire this year; they are both Democrats. Democrats have the chance to keep the majority.
Our NC Court of Appeals reviews the proceedings that occurred in trial courts for errors of law or legal procedure. At present 10 of the Appellate Court Justices are Republicans and 5 are Democrats. This year 4 seats are on the ballot in this partisan election; they are now held by 2 Democrats and 2 Republicans. A shift in party balance is possible.
North Carolina voters this year must turn out in favor of democratic policies. There are six Democratic judges on our ballot this year. You can vote for all six.
My news!
I’m very pleased to invite you to meet all six of our judicial candidates! They will be available for your questions on Sunday, July 10, from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Register now for this exceptional gathering at The Transylvania County Democratic Party website.
Our 2 Democratic Candidates for NC Supreme Court: Justice Sam Ervin IV and Judge Lucy Inman.
Justice Sam Ervin IV has history and law degrees. First nominated by Governor Hunt, he served two terms on the North Carolina Utilities Commission. In this quasi-judicial body, he was involved in deciding regulatory matters related to electricity, natural gas, telecommunications, and water and sewer service. He was elected to the North Carolina Court of Appeals in 2008.
Judge Lucy Inman grew up in Raleigh and began her career as a newspaper reporter covering court proceedings. She moved to Chapel Hill to earn her UNC School of Law degree. In practicing civil litigation for 18 years her clients included small business owners, large corporations, famous individuals, and survivors of negligence, fraud, and sexual abuse.
Judge Inman tells us,
I am running for the North Carolina Supreme Court to make sure
reason, honesty, and the rule of law prevail over political agendas.I have served as a judge for more than a decade, and for years
presided in trial courts across our state. Since being elected statewide
to the Court of Appeals in 2014, I have written more than 500 opinions
and helped decide thousands of other cases.Our courts affect all of our lives. I learned this in my first job as a
newspaper reporter covering court proceedings, as a practicing lawyer,
and as a trial judge. And I have kept it in mind every day I have served
on the Court of Appeals.This year’s judicial elections will determine who decides the hardest and
most hotly contested legal issues involving such fundamental rights as
public education, the equality of all people, and the election process
itself. North Carolinians deserve judges who decide every case
impartially, without fear or favor. Over the past dozen years, I have
done just that.
Our 4 Democratic Candidates for NC Court of Appeals: Judge Gale Adams, Judge Darren Jackson, Judge Brad Salmon, and Carolyn Thompson.
Justice Gale Adams majored in English and economics, then earned her law degree. As a Judge Advocate General in the U. S. Navy, she represented defendants and provided legal assistance to service members and their families. She says, “I believe in being courteous, patient, and attentive to all, whether they are plaintiffs, defendants, victims, or attorneys. … I want them to feel like they were heard and that my decision was just and fair, whether they won or lost.”
Looking ahead to our Zoom meeting, Judge Adams has sent us a few words:
Judges are important. We make decisions that impact every single area of your life, decisions that should be grounded in the law, fairness, and impartiality. Our judiciary, therefore, must operate independently, without the influence of any political agenda, and administer equal justice, without fear or favor, to all of the citizens of North Carolina.
Judge Darren Jackson attended public schools in Wake County, earned a BA in Political Science from UNC-Chapel Hill and a law degree from Duke. His practice focused on residential real estate and civil litigation. He has served as a mentor in the in the Communities in Schools Program and as Vice President of the East Wake Education Foundation.
Judge Jackson has sent us a message:
Postcard Readers,
I am Judge Darren Jackson and I currently serve on the Court of Appeals.
I am looking forward to our forum on July 10th and wanted to begin by introducing myself.
I attended our local public schools, college at UNC CHAPEL HILL, and Duke University School of law.
Then I started practicing law in Zebulon where for 25 years, I had a small town legal practice. From small claims court to the NC Supreme Court, I have handled cases in all levels of our judicial system.
In fact, to my knowledge I am the only candidate in my race that has actually ever filed an appeal or done any work in front of the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court. I’ve tried serious criminal cases. I have tried multi-week civil cases. I have filed and argued cases in state and federal appellate courts arguing, winning, and sometimes losing along the way.
I also have 12 years of experience in the NC General Assembly fighting for Democratic values and against bad Republican ideas and policies.
The last 4 of those years, I was the House Democratic Leader where I campaigned across this state to break the supermajority and ran competitive races in every corner of NC. Together we did that and now a VETO stays vetoed.
For the last 16 months I have served as a judge on the Court of Appeals where I have put all of my experiences to work.
A friend told me when I accepted this appointment: that I had spent 12 years fighting for justice in the general assembly, now was my opportunity to do justice. That’s what I try and do each and every day. JUSTICE.
I am running statewide for the first time. I am lucky to be running with a great slate of democrats, all experienced judges who will join me on the 10th. North Carolina has a long tradition of independent judges that is now under attack from extremists on the other side. It has never been more important for this State to have judges who will fairly and impartially apply the law rather than adhere to some radical political agenda.
We will all need your help in November.
Please don’t forget the judges.
Judge Darren Jackson for Court of Appeals.
Thank you.
You can learn more at my website:
Feel free to send me an email to :
If you want to contribute:
Judge Brad Salmon graduated from North Carolina State University and the Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law. In his practice he focused on representing clients in criminal, civil and administrative matters. He currently serves as a District Court Judge for District 11.
Carolyn Thompson earned a BA at Hampton University and a Juris Doctor Degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law. She is a former District Court judge and Superior Court judge, where she advocated that domestic violence cases be heard separately from the general civil court, helping families and children. She is a volunteer Teen Court Judge, a youth mentor, and an ordained minister.
I believe that our 6 Democratic judicial candidates will bring compassion to our laws and real justice back to American democracy. We need them.
Register above to meet them all on Sunday, July 10. Donate to their campaigns. Vote for them all in November.
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This is excellent information, Deda! Thanks so much for sharing. I am sending it out to my precinct right now.