Incumbent: John S. Arrowood (Democratic) · Incumbent running · Certified for the Nov. 3, 2026 general election ballot
General election Tuesday, Nov 3, 2026
Candidates from the N.C. State Board of Elections' official 2026 general election candidate list by contest (federal and state; report dated Oct. 13, 2026; https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Elections/2026/Candidate%20Filing/2026_general_candidate_list_by_contest_federal_and_state.pdf). Judicial races in North Carolina are partisan; justices and judges serve eight-year terms (N.C. State Board of Elections Judicial Voter Guide, https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/upcoming-election/judicial-voter-guide-2026-general-election). Write-ins: North Carolina counts write-in votes only for qualified write-in candidates, who had to file a declaration of intent and petitions with the State Board of Elections by noon on the 90th day before the general election (Aug. 5, 2026); "Write-in votes for names other than those of qualified write-in candidates shall not be counted for any purpose" (G.S. 163-123, https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_163/GS_163-123.html).
John S. Arrowood is a judge on the N.C. Court of Appeals and was earlier a law clerk, staff attorney and staff director there.
Michael C. Byrne is a judge at the N.C. Office of Administrative Hearings.
Candidates checked against the official list: state election office source. Candidate list compiled from the official state election office source and the sources on each profile. Check your official sample ballot before voting.
Topic headings are Vote Book’s; quoted words are each candidate’s own, with the source under each one. “As reported” means a news outlet’s description, not an exact quote. A yellow tag means no public position was found on that topic.
| Elections, ethics & government | |
|---|---|
| Arrowood Rights I pledge to render equal justice and to protect your constitutional rights. Original: N.C. State Board of Elections Judicial Voter Guide (accessed Oct 20, 2026) | ByrneNo public position found |
| Other priorities | |
| Arrowood Judicial philosophy I am committed to an independent judiciary that upholds the rule of law. Original: N.C. State Board of Elections Judicial Voter Guide (accessed Oct 20, 2026) | Byrne Judicial philosophy My judicial philosophy: “A Fair Judge. For Everyone” - and get the law right. Original: N.C. State Board of Elections Judicial Voter Guide (accessed Oct 20, 2026) |
The same nine Senate votes (or three House votes) are shown for every current member of Congress running, so records can be compared across races. Click a roll call for the official tally.
No congressional voting record for: Michael C. Byrne, John S. Arrowood. State legislative or local records are not yet compiled.