While there is certainly no shortage in this state of attention devoted to candidates for president, governor or the U.S. Senate, judicial elections are another matter.
But the candidates seeking election to North Carolina’s Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Superior Court and District Court are essential to our system of justice and the preservation of democracy and the rule of law.
That’s why the North Carolina Bar Association, through funding provided by the NCBA Foundation, supports two outstanding public service programs that provide information about these important candidates.
One such program is the Judicial Performance Evaluation survey, from which reports are generated and made available to the public and members of the media in advance of the primary and general election. The 2016 General Election Report is now available at ElectNCJudges.org.
The general election report includes evaluations of those Superior Court and District Court candidates who filed during the original filing period last December. Candidates who filed during special filing periods that occurred after the surveys were conducted are not included.
Media members are encouraged to reproduce the side-by-side comparisons and graphics in their publications and on their websites, with attribution to the North Carolina Bar Association. This is the third election cycle for which the survey reports have been made available to the public.
The reports are provided as a public service by the North Carolina Bar Association and its Judicial Performance Evaluation Committee, and are not intended as a recommendation or endorsement of any candidate.
For North Carolina’s appellate courts, the NCBA works in partnership with UNC-TV to provide televised forums featuring candidates for the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. The forums will be broadcast multiple times on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Channel and are also accessible now on its YouTube platform landing page or by direct link to each contest:
N.C. Supreme Court
Robert H. (Bob) Edmunds and Michael R. (Mike) Morgan
N.C. Court of Appeals
Rickye McKoy-Mitchell vs. Valerie Zachary
Richard Dietz vs. Vince Rozier
Phil Berger, Jr. vs. Linda Stephens
Margaret Eagles vs. Hunter Murphy
The North Carolina Bar Association appreciates your interest in our state’s judicial elections and your willingness to share this information with your readers, viewer, listeners and followers.