2014 North Carolina judicial elections

Elections in North Carolina
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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 [Ervin and Hudson] prevailed, one Democrat [Beasley] was leading in a very close race, and one Republican [Chief Justice Martin] was re-elected," Jacobson wrote.[1] 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.[2]

North Carolina ranked second among all states in total spending on judicial election campaigns in 2014.[3][4]

Supreme Court (Chief Justice)

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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

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Polling

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Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		Mark
Martin 		Ola
Lewis 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling[7] September 11–14, 2014 1,266 (LV) ± 2.8% 16% 7% — 77%

Results

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North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice election, 2014[8]
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)

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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

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Polling

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Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		Sam J.
Ervin IV 		Robert N.
Hunter, Jr. 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling[7] September 11–14, 2014 1,266 (LV) ±  2.8% 21% 13% — 66%

Results

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North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice (Martin seat) election, 2014[8]
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)

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Associate Justice Robin E. Hudson ran for re-election to a second term.[11]

Candidates

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Primary election

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Results

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North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice (Hudson seat) primary election, 2014[14]
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

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Polling

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Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		Robin E.
Hudson 		Eric
Levinson 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling[7] September 11–14, 2014 1,266 (LV) ±  2.8% 18% 10% — 72%
Public Policy Polling[15] August 14–17, 2014 856 (LV) ± 3.4% 19% 11% — 71%

Results

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North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice (Hudson seat) election, 2014[8]
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)

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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.[16]

Beasley won election to her first full term with 50.1 percent of the vote.[8] The margin was small enough that a recount would be allowed, if Robinson requested it.[17] He filed such a request for a recount on Nov. 17.[18] After the recount only added a net 17 votes to Robinson's total, he conceded and Beasley was declared the winner on Nov. 25.[19]

Candidates

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  • Cheri Beasley (Democratic), incumbent Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina
  • Mike Robinson (Republican), private practice attorney[20]

Polling

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Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		Cheri
Beasley 		Mike
Robinson 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling[7] September 11–14, 2014 1,266 (LV) ±  2.8% 13% 9% — 78%

Results

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North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice (Beasley seat) election, 2014[8]
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)

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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.[21]

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.[22][23]

Inman won election to her first term on the North Carolina Court of Appeals with 51.9 percent of the vote.[8]

Polling

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Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Lucy
Inman 		Bill
Southern 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling[7] September 11–14, 2014 1,266 ± 2.8% 9% 8% — 83%

Results

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North Carolina Court of Appeals seat election, 2014[8]
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)

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Judge Donna Stroud ran unopposed for re-election.[24]

Results

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North Carolina Court of Appeals seat election, 2014[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Donna Stroud (incumbent) 1,801,800 100.00%
Total votes 1,801,800 100.00%

Court of Appeals (Davis seat)

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Judge Mark A. Davis ran for a full term after serving out the remainder of Judge Cheri Beasley's unexpired term.[25] Beasley was appointed to the Supreme Court.

District Court Judge Paul A. Holcombe also ran for this seat.[26] Paul Holcombe has been a District Court Judge for Johnston, Harnett and Lee Counties since January 2009.[27]

Davis won his first full term by taking 58.8 percent of the vote.[8]

Polling

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Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Mark A.
Davis 		Paul A.
Holcombe 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling[7] September 11–14, 2014 1,266 ± 2.8% 8% 7% — 85%

Results

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North Carolina Court of Appeals seat election, 2014[8]
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)

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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.[28] 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.[29]

Nineteen candidates filed for the special election.[30] They included former Court of Appeals Judge John Arrowood of Charlotte,[31] Raleigh attorney Betsy Bunting, District Court Judge Lori G. Christian,[32] Raleigh bankruptcy attorney Jeffrey Cook, Raleigh Deputy Industrial Commissioner and former Court of Appeals staff lawyer J. Brad Donovan,[33] Hertford attorney Daniel Patrick Donahue, Raleigh attorney Sabra Faires,[34] former Superior Court judge Abe Jones, New Bern attorney Ann Kirby, Deputy Industrial Commissioner Keischa Lovelace,[35] Raleigh attorney Marty Martin, Haywood County trial attorney Hunter Murphy,[36] Raleigh attorney Joseph "Jody" Newsome, Raleigh attorney Patricia "Tricia" Shields,[37] Raleigh attorney Elizabeth Davenport Scott, former Court of Appeals Judge John M. Tyson of Cumberland County,[38] Brunswick County District Court Judge Marion Warren, Greensboro attorney and former State Board of Elections member Chuck Winfree, and Yadkinville attorney Valerie Johnson Zachary.[39]

Judge Tyson won his second full term on the court with 23.9 percent of the vote.[8] Arrowood placed second with 14.4 percent. No other candidate took more than 10 percent of the vote.

Results

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North Carolina Court of Appeals seat election, 2014[8]
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

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  1. ^ "Republicans' Election Night wave: It was big". Tampa Bay Times.
  2. ^ News & Observer
  3. ^ News & Observer, Oct. 29, 2015
  4. ^ "The New Politics of Judicial Elections, 2013-14". Archived from the original on April 2, 2016. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  5. ^ News & Observer Under the Dome Morning Memo: Florida GOP governor takes N.C. Democrats approach
  6. ^ WWAY-TV
  7. ^ a b c d e f Public Policy Polling
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "11/04/2014 Official General Election Results – Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  9. ^ News & Observer Under the Dome: Judge Ervin will run again for Supreme Court
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ News & Observer: Hudson seeking re-election to NC Supreme Court
  12. ^ Staff Report (February 26, 2014). "Snyder, Kryn enter NC Senate race". Salisbury Post.
  13. ^ Charlotte Observer Archived 2014-02-21 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ "05/06/2014 Official Primary Election Results – Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  15. ^ Public Policy Polling
  16. ^ News & Observer Under the Dome: Justice Beasley will run for her seat in 2014
  17. ^ News & Observer
  18. ^ News & Observer: NC Supreme Court candidate Mike Robinson, Senate hopeful Tom Bradshaw file for recounts
  19. ^ "Voting machine problems do not change election outcome". WRAL.com. November 25, 2014.
  20. ^ "Voter Information".
  21. ^ "Judge Robert C. Hunter to retire from NC Court of Appeals". August 14, 2013.
  22. ^ "News & Observer Under the Dome". Archived from the original on March 25, 2014. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  23. ^ News & Observer: Surry County judge announces appeals court candidacy
  24. ^ "NC State Board of Elections: Candidate filing list" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 26, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  25. ^ "Mark Davis will run to retain his seat on N.C. Court of Appeals". Greensboro News and Record.
  26. ^ "Official Candidate Filings, NC State Board of Elections" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 26, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  27. ^ "Johnston County | North Carolina Judicial Branch". www.nccourts.gov.
  28. ^ "The Associated Press". Archived from the original on July 26, 2014.
  29. ^ Governor McCrory Appoints Judge Lisa Bell to Court of Appeals
  30. ^ "19 candidates file for N.C. Court of Appeals seat; 5 file for Alamance Superior Court seat".
  31. ^ "Charlotte Observer". Archived from the original on July 24, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  32. ^ Judgepedia
  33. ^ News & Observer: Industrial Commission deputy will run for appeals court
  34. ^ News & Observer
  35. ^ "N.C. Industrial Commission Deputy Commissioners' Biographies". www.ic.nc.gov.
  36. ^ "Hunter Murphy webpage". HunterMurphyForJudge.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
  37. ^ "Hedrick Gardner". Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  38. ^ "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.
  39. ^ "State Board of Elections: Special Judicial Candidate List" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
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