Incumbent: Anita Earls (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).
Anita Earls has been an associate justice of the N.C. Supreme Court since 2018 and founded the Southern Coalition for Social Justice.
Sarah Stevens is a Mount Airy attorney in private practice for 40 years and a state legislator who chaired House Judiciary committees.
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.
| Crime & public safety | |
|---|---|
| Earls Crime victims After my brother was brutally murdered and his killer never prosecuted, I re-dedicated my life to fighting for justice for victims of crime and ensuring everyone gets their day in Court. Original: N.C. State Board of Elections Judicial Voter Guide (accessed Oct 20, 2026) | StevensNo public position found |
| Other priorities | |
| Earls Courts I believe an independent Court is critically necessary to the balance of powers and absolutely required to maintain a democracy. Original: N.C. State Board of Elections Judicial Voter Guide (accessed Oct 20, 2026) | Stevens Judicial philosophy I believe in following the law as written and a strict following of the constitution. Original: N.C. State Board of Elections Judicial Voter Guide (accessed Oct 20, 2026) Why running I am running because my opponent has twice ruled against the constitution on issues of voter identification and redistricting. 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: Anita Earls, Sarah Stevens. State legislative or local records are not yet compiled.