The North Carolina Supreme Court is the state’s highest court.
Incumbent Democrat Anita Earls and Sarah Stevens are running in the general election for the open seat this November.
Anita Earls (D)
Why are you running?
I am running for re-election to ensure that the judicial system works for every North Carolinian and holds everyone accountable, no matter how rich or privileged they may be. I know firsthand how important it is that the criminal justice system keeps our communities and families safe. Years ago, my brother was murdered, and his killer was charged initially but never brought to trial. When the charges were dismissed, there was nothing I could do to obtain justice for my family. It is so important that the judicial system works to protect all families. At this critical moment, where state and national politicians are attacking the independence of our courts, in order to maintain their own power, we need judges at every level who will adhere to our founding principles of due process of law and equal justice under the law. I believe a fair and independent judiciary is essential to guard our democratic institutions, guarantee our constitutional freedoms, and to keep North Carolina safe.
What is your judicial philosophy?
I interpret constitutional provisions and statutes by looking at the actual text of the provisions and applying all relevant interpretative tools to effectuate the intent of the law. Our understanding of the rights embodied in the state and federal constitutions should not be frozen in amber based on the narrow circumstances or prejudices of centuries past. Fundamental democratic principles require that our Constitutional rights be based on modern conditions and conceptions of human rights.
What sets you apart from your opponent?
Several key elements distinguish my background and philosophy from that of my opponent. Before being elected to the Court in 2018, I spent thirty years as a practicing civil rights trial and appellate attorney. I have tried civil and criminal cases before juries in state and federal courts, briefed cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, and won an en banc appeal in the First Circuit. My opponent’s background is as a partisan political leader in the General Assembly. I am the only candidate in this race with judicial experience and the only candidate with meaningful appellate experience as a litigator. Now that I have served as a Supreme Court Justice for over seven years, participating in hundreds of cases and authoring major opinions that directly impact North Carolinians’ daily lives, my record of enforcing constitutional rights as contained in the state and federal constitutions contrasts significantly with my opponent’s record of sponsoring or supporting more than fifteen laws that courts have declared were unconstitutional.
I believe that Justices should be fair, impartial and independent. As a civil rights attorney, I defended everyone’s rights, seeking to bring us closer to the guarantee of equal justice under the law. My opponent has demonstrated that she is beholden to a particular political ideology, indicating she would rule in a way that dictates specific outcomes rather than faithfully applying the law to the facts in every case.
Sarah Stevens (R)
Why are you running?
I want to ensure the court stays conservative.
What is your judicial philosophy?
A judge is a referee not a king. They follow the law as written not as they want it to be.
What sets you apart from your opponent?
She is an activist as shown by her record.