{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"George Cooper Bell","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nGeorge Cooper Bell currently serves as a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals for Seat 02, having assumed tenure in 2019 [1]. He is a member of the Republican Party and previously served in the North Carolina Fifth Superior Court Division for Judicial District 26C [1].\n\nBell is a candidate for re-election to the North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 02 in the 2026 election cycle [1]. His candidacy was confirmed during the 2026 candidate filing period, which concluded in December 2025 [4]. He appears on official voter resources for the upcoming primary and general elections scheduled for 2026 [3].\n\n## Office history\n\nGeorge Bell has served as a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals for Seat 2 since 2019 [1]. He also holds tenure as a judge in the North Carolina 5th Superior Court Division and Judicial District 26C, a position he assumed in 2019 [1].\n\nBell is a candidate for re-election to the North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 2 in the upcoming 2026 election cycle [2]. He has filed as a Republican candidate for this office [1]. Information regarding his participation in the 2026 primary election process is available through state voter resources [3].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [George Bell - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/George_Bell)\n[2] [NC Election | North Carolina Election Information & Resources](https://ncelection.com/nc-court-of-appeals-candidates/)\n[3] [Candidate Profiles \u2013 NC Voter Guide](https://ncvoterguide.org/profiles/)\n[4] [Results from 2026 Candidate Filing - Carolina Forward](https://carolinaforward.org/blog/results-from-2026-candidate-filing/)","firstname":"George","lastname":"Bell","middlename":"Cooper","suffix":null,"token":"a59b6dc9ab9afd56"},"token":"Bf6mX4kOwB"},{"candidatename":"Tobias (Toby) Hampson","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"Toby Hampson is the incumbent Democratic judge for Seat\u202f2 on the North Carolina Court of Appeals, seeking re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election. The Court of Appeals is an intermediate appellate court that reviews lower\u2011court decisions for errors of law and ensures uniform application of statutes across the state\u202f[9]. Judges on this court sit in three\u2011judge panels, issue written opinions, and serve six\u2011year terms after being elected by voters.\n\nHampson earned a B.A. in international studies and history from American University in 1998 and received his J.D. from Campbell University\u2019s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law in 2002, where he was inducted into the Order of Barristers and served on the Law Review\u202f[1]. After law school he practiced law before being elected to the Court of Appeals, assuming office on January\u202f1,\u202f2019\u202f[1]. He was first elected in 2018, defeating Republican candidates Jefferson Griffin and Sandra\u202fRay with 48.8% of the vote\u202f[1]. His current term runs through December\u202f31,\u202f2026, and he faces Republican challenger George\u202fBell in the 2026 race\u202f[1][9].\n\nDuring his tenure, Judge Hampson has been endorsed by several progressive organizations, including the NC AFL\u2011CIO, Bull City Anna, and the Sierra Club of North Carolina\u202f[1]. Financial disclosures for his 2026 campaign show total contributions of $330,856 and expenditures of $68,646, with the North Carolina Democratic Party contributing $51,834.38 and Hampson himself contributing $8,496.28\u202f[6]. Major expenditures have gone to consulting firm Express\u202fLane\u202fStrategies LLC and to digital fundraising platforms such as Act\u202fBlue\u202f[6].\n\nThe Court of Appeals judges are required to be licensed attorneys in good standing, possess a record of legal experience, and demonstrate impartiality and competence in interpreting state law\u202f[9]. Hampson\u2019s background as a law school graduate, former attorney, and six\u2011year appellate judge aligns with these statutory qualifications. His ongoing campaign emphasizes maintaining a fair, independent judiciary and continuing the work of the appellate court in upholding legal consistency across North Carolina\u202f[10].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Toby Hampson - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Toby_Hampson)\n- [6] [Toby Hampson - North Carolina Candidate - Transparency USA](https://www.transparencyusa.org/nc/candidate/tobias-hampson)\n- [9] [The NC Court System: Who's on the ballot and how ...](https://wcti12.com/elections/meet-your-candidates-nc-court-system)\n- [10] [Announcing the 2026 NC Judicial Slate! - Carolina Democracy](https://www.carolinademocracy.com/p/announcing-the-2026-nc-judicial-slate)","firstname":"Tobias","lastname":"Hampson","middlename":"Samuel","suffix":null,"token":"15327fad1e315dd1"},"token":"qJlXUJw3aD"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":null,"o.office":"court_of_appeals","office":"court_of_appeals","officedescription":"An appellate judge (North Carolina Court of Appeals or Supreme Court) reviews decisions of the trial courts for legal error, sitting in panels and deciding cases on the briefs, record, and argument rather than holding trials. The Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort.","officequalities":"- Review of trial-court decisions for legal error, deciding cases on the record, briefs, and oral argument rather than by trial.\n- Deep command of substantive and procedural law and of controlling precedent, since appellate rulings bind the courts below.\n- Judicial temperament and impartiality under the North Carolina Code of Judicial Conduct, including recusal when conflicts arise.\n- Clear, reasoned legal writing \u2014 appellate opinions are the law other courts follow.\n- Collegiality: appellate judges decide in panels and must persuade and be persuaded.\n- Integrity and independence from political or financial influence.","officeterm":8,"officetitle":"Court of Appeals Judge","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Nc Court Of Appeals Judge Seat 02"}