In the race for Seat 1 in District 26C of the North Carolina Superior Court, Caleb Newman is facing George Guise. Both are Democrats. There is no Republican candidate.
Caleb Newman
What is your occupation? Senior Assistant District Attorney.
Why are you running? I am running for Superior Court Judge to ensure our courts are defined by experience, knowledge, and integrity. As our communities grow, we need a Superior Court Judge who protects the rule of law, treats every individual with dignity, and ensures our courts are fair, efficient, and transparent. I am committed to impartial justice that reflects our values and secures a safe future for all.
What is your legal/judicial experience? I am currently a Senior Assistant District Attorney prosecuting homicides and other high-level felonies such as sexual assault, drug trafficking, and child exploitation cases. I represent the State of North Carolina and stand next to victims and their families in courtrooms asking for justice. My legal experience began before I even graduated from law school. As a third-year law student, I won pro bono awards for working for Safe Alliance in Charlotte, representing victims of domestic violence in seeking protective orders against their abusers. After graduating from law school I began my work as a federal public defender, representing federal criminal defendants who could not afford their own attorney. I stood next to them in federal courtrooms when they needed counsel and an advocate. I also have experience as a civil litigator, representing clients in complex and difficult civil disputes in the North Carolina Business Court, a branch of Superior Court.
What is your judicial philosophy? My judicial philosophy is centered on the principle of “Equal Justice Under Law,” which requires that the courtroom be a sanctuary where every individual is treated with the highest level of dignity and respect. I believe that a judge’s primary duty is to ensure that the promise of the Fourteenth Amendment—providing both due process and equal protection—is realized for every person, regardless of race, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or political affiliation. In my courtroom, I will strictly adhere to the North Carolina Code of Judicial Conduct, which prohibits speech or conduct that manifests bias or prejudice. My goal is to maintain a bench that is not only legally sound but also culturally competent, recognizing that true fairness requires an unwavering commitment to impartiality for all North Carolinians.
What separates you from your opponent? First and foremost, I am the only candidate in this race who works in Superior Court every single day, fighting for justice, arguing the law, preparing cases for trial, and convincing judges and juries to find in my favor. That direct experience matters for the job for which I am applying. Unlike my opponent, I am not a candidate who wants you to believe that experience in one court automatically qualifies me to be a judge in another court, because it simply doesn’t. Just like doctors, attorneys have areas of expertise - and Superior Court is mine. I am also not a candidate who is limited to one term. Judges in North Carolina are subject to mandatory retirement at age 72, meaning my opponent can only serve one term. I, on the other hand, can bring stability, real-world courtroom experience, and a long-term commitment to the rule of law for a generation of North Carolinians.
George Guise
What is your occupation? I currently serve as in-house counsel to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office.
Why are you running? I have been dedicated to the service of justice, the doing of justice, and our system of justice in Mecklenburg County for over thirty years. More than any other time in my lifetime, it feels today as though our democracy is under attack. And I believe that the best defense to that attack is a fiercely independent judiciary. We need judges unflinching in the face of ever intensifying political pressures from other branches of government, willing and able to remain true to the core principles set forth in and guaranteed by our Constitution: Due Process, Equal Protection, an understanding of and respect for the Rule of Law, and the unbiased, honest, and fair treatment of every individual. My personal and professional experiences over the past 30 years have tested and proven my commitment to those core principles and to our system of justice in Mecklenburg County.
What is your legal/judicial experience? I have been a State (Assistant District Attorney) and Federal (Assistant United States Attorney) Prosecutor for more than a dozen years, having tried more than 50 felony jury trials of the most serious and complex crimes. I have been a criminal defense attorney and civil litigator in private practice. I have been General Counsel to Davidson College. I have been Volunteer Lawyer of the Year with Legal Aid of North Carolina for Mecklenburg County, when I took on so many pro bono clients – victims of domestic violence and wrongful eviction – that we established a free clinic at the Ada Jenkins Center in Davidson. I have been a volunteer Judge with Mecklenburg County Teen Court for more than 15 years. I have taught classes at Davidson College on Social Justice and Poverty Law for multiple semesters. I lecture annually to the Constitutional Law class in the Honors Program at UNCC. I have served on the Boards of Legal Services of Southern Piedmont, the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, and the McCrorey YMCA to name a few. I am the immediate past President of the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Association of Police and Sheriffs’ Attorneys. I currently serve on the Legal Affairs Committee for the National Sheriffs’ Association. For the past seven years, I have been in-house counsel to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, where my responsibilities include managing all of the agency’s civil litigation. I serve as MCSO’s representative to the County’s Key Court Officials (the Chief Resident Superior Court Judge, Chief District Court Judge, Clerk of Court, Trial Court Administrator, District Attorney, Public Defender and myself). I serve on the Executive Committee of the County’s Criminal Justice Advisory Group, and on the Executive Committee for Courthouse Security.
What is your judicial philosophy? Asa Superior Court Judge, I would be committed to faithfully following North Carolina’s General Statutes, the case law interpreting those Statutes, and the Rules of Evidence and Procedure. I would do so efficiently and effectively, with clarity in all of my rulings. And I would do so while treating all individuals in my courtroom without bias and with dignity and respect. Most significantly, the breadth and depth of my legal experience – both criminal and civil – and my reputation at the courthouse and in the community (for more than 30 years my wife and I have lived in Davidson, where we’ve raised our five children), for being just and for doing justice, set me apart. The most experienced trial lawyers, civil and criminal lawyers on both sides of the aisle including career prosecutors and defense lawyers, who know the requirements of the job and the critical qualities in a Superior Court Judge, agree that I am the most qualified candidate, best prepared to serve, with the most fitting and fair judicial temperament. Every Mecklenburg County Superior Court Judge and Superior Court Judge-to-be (running unopposed) who can endorse a candidate in this election agrees. Important organizations that understand and appreciate the job of Superior Court Judge – including the Charlotte-Metrolina Labor Council/AFL-CIO, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police, and the Black Political Caucus – endorse me as well. Finally, in that this election will be decided in the Democratic primary with no Republican challenger in the General Election, it may be a factor to some that I am a life-long Democrat, whereas my opponent was a registered Republican in 2024.
(WATCH BELOW: Mecklenburg County Sheriff candidates debate in front of primetime audience on Channel 9)
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