Four justices of the seven-member North Carolina Supreme Court and four judges of the 15-member North Carolina Court of Appeals were elected by North Carolina voters on November 4, 2014, concurrently with other state elections. Terms for seats on each court are eight years.
Assessing the election results, Politifact writer Louis Jacobson noted that Supreme Court races in North Carolina and other states yielded "better-than-average results" for Democrats, who otherwise suffered heavy defeats across the country. "In a series of hotly contested North Carolina contests, two Democratic-leaning judges prevailed, one Democrat was leading in a very close race, and one Republican was re-elected," Jacobson wrote. At the Court of Appeals level, two Democrats, Lucy Inman and Mark Davis, and one Republican, John Tyson, were elected in contested races, while another Republican, Donna Stroud, was re-elected without opposition.
North Carolina ranked second among all states in total spending on judicial election campaigns in 2014.
Supreme Court (Chief Justice)
Chief Justice Sarah Parker stepped down from her position on the Court in 2014 because she reached the mandatory retirement age of 72. Her seat would have been on the November 2014 election ballot in any event, since she was elected Chief Justice in 2006 to an eight-year term.
Candidates
- Mark Martin (Republican), incumbent Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina
- Ola Lewis (Republican), Brunswick County Superior Court judge
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Mark Martin |
Ola Lewis |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling | September 11–14, 2014 | 1,266 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 16% | 7% | — | 77% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Mark Martin (incumbent) | 1,754,799 | 72.24% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Ola Lewis | 674,232 | 27.76% | ||
| Total votes | 2,429,031 | 100.0% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
Supreme Court (Martin seat)
The seat formerly held by Associate Justice Mark Martin was on the ballot. Justice Martin was appointed to the position of chief justice, effective Sept. 1, and ran for that seat.
Candidates
- Sam J. Ervin IV (Democratic), incumbent Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals (2009–2014)
- Robert N. Hunter, Jr. (Republican), incumbent Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Sam J. Ervin IV |
Robert N. Hunter, Jr. |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling | September 11–14, 2014 | 1,266 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 21% | 13% | — | 66% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Sam J. Ervin IV | 1,324,261 | 52.60% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Robert N. Hunter, Jr. (incumbent) | 1,193,492 | 47.40% | ||
| Total votes | 2,517,753 | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
Supreme Court (Hudson seat)
Associate Justice Robin E. Hudson ran for re-election to a second term.
Candidates
- Jeanette Doran (Republican), chair of the North Carolina Division of Employment Security Board of Review
- Robin E. Hudson (Democratic), incumbent Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina
- Eric L. Levinson (Republican), Mecklenburg County Superior Court judge
Primary election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Robin E. Hudson (incumbent) | 381,836 | 42.56% | |
| Nonpartisan | Eric L. Levinson | 328,062 | 36.57% | |
| Nonpartisan | Jeanette Doran | 187,273 | 20.87% | |
| Total votes | 897,171 | 100.0% | ||
General election
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Robin E. Hudson |
Eric Levinson |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling | September 11–14, 2014 | 1,266 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 18% | 10% | — | 72% |
| Public Policy Polling | August 14–17, 2014 | 856 (LV) | ± 3.4% | 19% | 11% | — | 71% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Robin E. Hudson (incumbent) | 1,283,478 | 52.46% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Eric L. Levinson | 1,163,022 | 47.54% | ||
| Total votes | 2,446,500 | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
Supreme Court (Beasley seat)
Associate Justice Cheri Beasley ran for election to a full term in her own right after she was appointed to the seat by former Governor Bev Perdue to fill a vacancy.
Beasley won election to her first full term with 50.1 percent of the vote. The margin was small enough that a recount would be allowed, if Robinson requested it. He filed such a request for a recount on Nov. 17. After the recount only added a net 17 votes to Robinson's total, he conceded and Beasley was declared the winner on Nov. 25.
Candidates
- Cheri Beasley (Democratic), incumbent Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina
- Mike Robinson (Republican), private practice attorney
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Cheri Beasley |
Mike Robinson |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling | September 11–14, 2014 | 1,266 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 13% | 9% | — | 78% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Cheri Beasley (incumbent) | 1,239,763 | 50.11% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Mike Robinson | 1,234,353 | 49.89% | ||
| Total votes | 2,474,116 | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
Court of Appeals (Robert C. Hunter seat)
The seat held by Judge Robert C. Hunter (not to be confused with his colleague on the Court, Robert N. Hunter, Jr.) was on the ballot. Hunter announced on Aug. 14, 2013, that he would not seek re-election.
Judges Lucy Inman and Bill Southern were both candidates for the seat. Judge Inman is a special Superior Court judge and was appointed to that position in 2010 by former Governor Beverly Perdue. Prior to that, she was a trial lawyer. Judge Southern currently serves on the District Court bench for Stokes and Surry Counties. He was elected to that position in 2008 and in 2012. Prior to that, he served as an assistant district attorney in Stokes and Surry Counties.
Inman won election to her first term on the North Carolina Court of Appeals with 51.9 percent of the vote.
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Lucy Inman |
Bill Southern |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling | September 11–14, 2014 | 1,266 | ± 2.8% | 9% | 8% | — | 83% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Lucy Inman | 1,227,800 | 51.94% | |
| Nonpartisan | Bill Southern | 1,136,268 | 48.06% | |
| Total votes | 2,364,068 | 100.00% | ||
Court of Appeals (Stroud seat)
Judge Donna Stroud ran unopposed for re-election.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Donna Stroud (incumbent) | 1,801,800 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 1,801,800 | 100.00% | ||
Court of Appeals (Davis seat)
Judge Mark A. Davis ran for a full term after serving out the remainder of Judge Cheri Beasley's unexpired term. Beasley was appointed to the Supreme Court.
District Court Judge Paul A. Holcombe also ran for this seat. Paul Holcombe has been a District Court Judge for Johnston, Harnett and Lee Counties since January 2009.
Davis won his first full term by taking 58.8 percent of the vote.
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Mark A. Davis |
Paul A. Holcombe |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling | September 11–14, 2014 | 1,266 | ± 2.8% | 8% | 7% | — | 85% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Mark A. Davis (incumbent) | 1,354,647 | 58.77% | |
| Nonpartisan | Paul Holcombe | 950,300 | 41.23% | |
| Total votes | 2,304,947 | 100.00% | ||
Court of Appeals (John C. Martin seat)
On July 9, 2014, Chief Judge John C. Martin announced his retirement, effective August 1, 2014, creating another opening to be filled by voters in the general election. Because of the date of his retirement, no primary election was held for the seat. Governor Pat McCrory appointed Judge Lisa Bell to hold the Martin seat for the remainder of the year, but she was not among the candidates who ran for a full term.
Nineteen candidates filed for the special election. They included former Court of Appeals Judge John Arrowood of Charlotte, Raleigh attorney Betsy Bunting, District Court Judge Lori G. Christian, Raleigh bankruptcy attorney Jeffrey Cook, Raleigh Deputy Industrial Commissioner and former Court of Appeals staff lawyer J. Brad Donovan, Hertford attorney Daniel Patrick Donahue, Raleigh attorney Sabra Faires, former Superior Court judge Abe Jones, New Bern attorney Ann Kirby, Deputy Industrial Commissioner Keischa Lovelace, Raleigh attorney Marty Martin, Haywood County trial attorney Hunter Murphy, Raleigh attorney Joseph "Jody" Newsome, Raleigh attorney Patricia "Tricia" Shields, Raleigh attorney Elizabeth Davenport Scott, former Court of Appeals Judge John M. Tyson of Cumberland County, Brunswick County District Court Judge Marion Warren, Greensboro attorney and former State Board of Elections member Chuck Winfree, and Yadkinville attorney Valerie Johnson Zachary.
Judge Tyson won his second full term on the court with 23.9 percent of the vote. Arrowood placed second with 14.4 percent. No other candidate took more than 10 percent of the vote.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | John M. Tyson | 557,700 | 23.84% | |
| Nonpartisan | John S. Arrowood | 336,839 | 14.40% | |
| Nonpartisan | Keischa Lovelace | 226,159 | 9.67% | |
| Nonpartisan | Marion Warren | 143,279 | 6.13% | |
| Nonpartisan | Elizabeth Davenport Scott | 131,330 | 5.61% | |
| Nonpartisan | Marty Martin | 120,281 | 5.14% | |
| Nonpartisan | Hunter Murphy | 103,361 | 4.42% | |
| Nonpartisan | Paul Holcombe | 96,468 | 4.12% | |
| Nonpartisan | Valerie Johnson Zachary | 92,361 | 3.95% | |
| Nonpartisan | Lori G. Christian | 88,819 | 3.80% | |
| Nonpartisan | Tricia Shields | 79,357 | 3.39% | |
| Nonpartisan | Daniel Patrick Donahue | 66,168 | 2.83% | |
| Nonpartisan | Abe Jones | 59,712 | 2.55% | |
| Nonpartisan | Chuck Winfree | 52,978 | 2.26% | |
| Nonpartisan | Jeffrey M. Cook | 48,336 | 2.07% | |
| Nonpartisan | Jody Newsome | 38,544 | 1.65% | |
| Nonpartisan | Betsy Bunting | 36,163 | 1.55% | |
| Nonpartisan | Sabra Jean Faires | 31,759 | 1.36% | |
| Nonpartisan | J. Brad Donovan | 29,580 | 1.26% | |
| Total votes | 2,339,194 | 100.00% | ||
References
- "Republicans' Election Night wave: It was big". Tampa Bay Times.
- News & Observer
- News & Observer, Oct. 29, 2015
- "The New Politics of Judicial Elections, 2013-14". Archived from the original on April 2, 2016. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
- News & Observer Under the Dome Morning Memo: Florida GOP governor takes N.C. Democrats approach
- WWAY-TV
- ^ Public Policy Polling
- ^ "11/04/2014 Official General Election Results – Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- News & Observer Under the Dome: Judge Ervin will run again for Supreme Court
- "NC Court of Appeals Judge Robert N. Hunter, Jr. files paperwork to run for NC Supreme Court". Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- News & Observer: Hudson seeking re-election to NC Supreme Court
- Staff Report (February 26, 2014). "Snyder, Kryn enter NC Senate race". Salisbury Post.
- Charlotte Observer Archived 2014-02-21 at the Wayback Machine
- "05/06/2014 Official Primary Election Results – Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- Public Policy Polling
- News & Observer Under the Dome: Justice Beasley will run for her seat in 2014
- News & Observer
- News & Observer: NC Supreme Court candidate Mike Robinson, Senate hopeful Tom Bradshaw file for recounts
- "Voting machine problems do not change election outcome". WRAL.com. November 25, 2014.
- "Voter Information".
- "Judge Robert C. Hunter to retire from NC Court of Appeals". August 14, 2013.
- "News & Observer Under the Dome". Archived from the original on March 25, 2014. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
- News & Observer: Surry County judge announces appeals court candidacy
- "NC State Board of Elections: Candidate filing list" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 26, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
- "Mark Davis will run to retain his seat on N.C. Court of Appeals". Greensboro News and Record.
- "Official Candidate Filings, NC State Board of Elections" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 26, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
- "Johnston County | North Carolina Judicial Branch". www.nccourts.gov.
- "The Associated Press". Archived from the original on July 26, 2014.
- Governor McCrory Appoints Judge Lisa Bell to Court of Appeals
- "19 candidates file for N.C. Court of Appeals seat; 5 file for Alamance Superior Court seat".
- "Charlotte Observer". Archived from the original on July 24, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
- Judgepedia
- News & Observer: Industrial Commission deputy will run for appeals court
- News & Observer
- "N.C. Industrial Commission Deputy Commissioners' Biographies". www.ic.nc.gov.
- "Hunter Murphy webpage". HunterMurphyForJudge.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
- "Hedrick Gardner". Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- "NCPoliticalNews.com | Judge John Tyson files as Candidate for Judge of Court of Appeals". Archived from the original on November 5, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
- "State Board of Elections: Special Judicial Candidate List" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
External links
- State Board of Elections: General Election Judicial Voter Guide
- Videos of Judicial Candidate Forums by UNC-TV
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