{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Martin Moore","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nMartin Moore is a Democratic candidate for District Attorney of North Carolina\u2019s 40th Prosecutorial District, which encompasses Buncombe County [1]. He currently serves on the Buncombe County Commission representing District 2, a term that runs until December 31, 2026 [7]. Moore announced his candidacy for the District Attorney office while holding this commission seat [9].\n\nThe Democratic primary election for the position was held on March 3, 2026, featuring three candidates: Moore, Courtney Booth, and Katie Kurdys [2]. Following the primary, Moore was projected as the winner of the Democratic nomination [8]. As the incumbent party\u2019s nominee, he is set to appear on the ballot for the general election in Buncombe County later in 2026.\n\nMoore\u2019s campaign platform emphasizes fairness within the criminal justice system and prioritizes the prosecution of gun crimes, domestic violence, and serious threats to public safety [3]. He states that misdemeanor cannabis charges will be his lowest priority, arguing that the office should focus on root causes of crime while holding individuals accountable [5]. The North Carolina Democratic Party has endorsed Moore, noting his background in the Asheville Public Defender\u2019s Office and his stated priorities regarding violent crime and minor drug offenses [4].\n\n## Career\n\nMartin Ekim Moore is a lawyer licensed in North Carolina [10]. He has dedicated much of his professional career to advocating for his neighbors both inside and outside the courtroom [11]. Prior to his current political roles, Moore worked as an attorney in Buncombe County [11]. His legal practice includes serving as a mediator [9].\n\nMoore has served on the Buncombe County Commission representing District 2 since 2022 [7]. He holds this office until December 31, 2026 [7]. In March 2026, Moore was projected to win the Democratic nomination for Buncombe County District Attorney [8]. He is expected to become Buncombe County\u2019s first Black district attorney upon taking office [12].\n\n## Office history\n\nMartin Moore currently serves as a Buncombe County Commissioner representing District 2, a position he was elected to in the 2022 North Carolina General Election [7]. His term is scheduled to end on December 31, 2026 [7]. Prior to his election to the county commission, Moore worked in the Asheville Public Defender\u2019s Office [4].\n\nIn the current political cycle, Moore announced his candidacy for Buncombe County District Attorney [9]. He is running in the Democratic primary for North Carolina\u2019s 40th Prosecutorial District Attorney on March 3, 2026, alongside candidates Courtney Booth and Katie Kurdys [2]. As of May 12, 2026, Moore has been projected as the winner of this Democratic nomination [8], though the outcome of the subsequent general election remains unknown.\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\n\nMartin Moore has not held legislative office, as he is a candidate for District Attorney rather than a member of the General Assembly; therefore, there are no sponsored bills, legislative votes, or committee assignments to report [1]. As a current Buncombe County Commissioner representing District 2, his policy focus has shifted toward prosecutorial priorities for the upcoming Democratic primary election scheduled for March 3, 2026 [2].\n\nIn his campaign platform, Moore states that he will prioritize the prosecution of gun crimes, domestic violence, and serious threats to public safety while treating misdemeanor cannabis charges as a low priority [3]. He describes his approach as ensuring fairness in the criminal justice system by holding people accountable while focusing on the root causes of crime [5]. The North Carolina Democratic Party notes that Moore has worked in the Asheville Public Defender\u2019s Office and reports his plan to prioritize serious offenses over minor cannabis charges [4].\n\nMoore has discussed these priorities with other district attorney candidates during the 2026 election cycle, emphasizing a strategy that balances community safety with smart, fair prosecution practices [6]. While Moore is currently serving as a Buncombe County Commissioner until December 31, 2026, he is seeking the Democratic nomination for District Attorney to succeed in the general election [7].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Martin Moore (North Carolina 40th Prosecutorial District Attorney, North Carolina, candidate 2026) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Martin_Moore_(North_Carolina_40th_Prosecutorial_District_Attorney,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2026))\n[2] [Three Democrats are running for Buncombe County, North Carolina District Attorney on March 3 - Ballotpedia News](https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/03/03/three-democrats-are-running-for-buncombe-county-north-carolina-district-attorney-on-march-3/)\n[3] [Martin Moore for Buncombe County District Attorney](https://www.martinforjudge.com/)\n[4] [Endorsements for Martin Moore - North Carolina Democratic Party Candidate](https://bluevoterguide.org/NC/candidate_Martin_Moore/002312129)\n[5] [Martin Moore for Buncombe County District Attorney](https://electmartinmoore.com/)\n[6] [District attorney candidates discuss priorities for Buncombe County \u2013 Mountain Xpress](https://mountainx.com/news/politics-elections/district-attorney-candidates-discuss-priorities-for-buncombe-county/)\n[7] [Martin Moore | BallotReady](https://www.ballotready.org/people/martin-moore)\n[8] [Martin Moore is the projected winner for Buncombe County district attorney](https://wlos.com/news/local/buncombe-county-district-attorney-wins-democratic-nomination-general-election-martin-moore)\n[9] [Buncombe County Commissioner Martin Moore announces candidacy for District Attorney](https://wlos.com/news/local/buncombe-county-commissioner-martin-moore-announces-candidacy-district-attorney-election-attorney-mediator-politics-democrat-community-2026)\n[10] [Mr. Martin Ekim Moore Profile | Asheville, NC Lawyer | Martindale.com](https://www.martindale.com/attorney/martin-e-moore-300418686/)\n[11] [Staff Directory \u2022 Martin Moore](https://www.buncombenc.gov/directory.aspx?eid=164)\n[12] [Martin Moore to be Buncombe County\u2019s first Black district attorney](https://www.bpr.org/politics-government/2026-03-06/martin-moore-to-be-buncombe-countys-first-black-district-attorney)","firstname":"Martin","lastname":"Moore","middlename":"Ekim","suffix":null,"token":"ff20aed85c8fb7e6"},"token":"p9ahj4W16OiZj61w"},{"candidatename":"Katie Kurdys","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nKathleen Marie \"Katie\" Kurdys is a Democratic candidate for District Attorney of NC Prosecutorial District 40, which serves Buncombe County. She ran in the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary against Courtney Booth and Martin Moore.\n\nKurdys has pledged to ensure all staff are trained in trauma-informed prosecution, expand collaborative crime prevention, and maintain DV-focused prosecution practices. She has specialized training in sexual assault, domestic violence, strangulation investigation, evidence-based prosecution, and forensic analysis.\n\n## Background and education\nKurdys attended UNC-Chapel Hill, where she earned a double major in Political Science and Peace, War, and Defense. She earned her Juris Doctor with a Certificate in Trial Advocacy from Campbell University's Norman A. Wiggins School of Law. Before law school, she had worked her way up to Executive Chef for multimillion-dollar restaurants by age 25.\n\n## Career\nKurdys began her legal career as an intern in the Durham County District Attorney's Office and was later hired as a designated domestic violence prosecutor, serving on Durham's Domestic Violence Multi-Disciplinary Task Force. She joined the Buncombe County District Attorney's Office in 2018 and currently serves as the Senior Assistant District Attorney over Violent Crimes, advising law enforcement on charging decisions and prosecuting high-level violent offenses. Over roughly a decade as a prosecutor she has tried cases ranging from traffic tickets to First Degree Murder and First Degree Rape convictions.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Katie K for Buncombe District Attorney \u2013 katiekforda.com](https://katiekforda.com/)\n- [2] [District attorney candidates discuss priorities for Buncombe County \u2013 Mountain Xpress](https://mountainx.com/news/politics-elections/district-attorney-candidates-discuss-priorities-for-buncombe-county/)\n- [3] [Kurdys cites experience, compassion in bid for Buncombe County DA \u2013 828 News NOW](https://828newsnow.com/news/228822-kurdys-cites-experience-compassion-in-bid-for-buncombe-county-da/)\n","firstname":"Kathleen","lastname":"Kurdys","middlename":"Marie","suffix":null,"token":"ccf4cd1ef8186868"},"token":"PD54Ba17Djq-zS80"},{"candidatename":"Courtney Virginia Booth","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"**Status update.** Courtney Virginia Booth lost the Democratic primary for District Attorney, Prosecutorial District 40, placing second of three candidates with 14,869 votes (36.1%); Martin Moore won with 16,191 votes (39.3%), ahead of Katie Kurdys (10,173 votes, 24.7%) (Buncombe County, March 3, 2026 primary); Moore advances to the November 3, 2026 general election [4]. Booth will not appear on the November ballot.\n\n## Current office and 2026 campaign\nCourtney Virginia Booth was a Democratic candidate for District Attorney, Prosecutorial District 40 (Buncombe County), according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections' 2026 candidate filing list [1]. Courtney filed for candidacy on December 12, 2025, for Buncombe County [1].\n\n## Background\nAccording to the North Carolina voter file, Courtney Virginia Booth is a registered voter in Buncombe County, North Carolina, registered since 2005 (21 years), with party affiliation listed as Democratic [2]. The voter file shows Courtney Virginia Booth's year of birth as 1978; NC publishes only the year of birth in its bulk voter export, so day and month are not part of the public record [2]. The voter history file shows 10 elections voted in since 2016, most recently the 2026-03-03 primary [3].\n\nThis biography draws on the North Carolina State Board of Elections' candidate filing records and the state's public voter registration, history, and primary-results files. No additional published biographical information (news coverage, a campaign website, or a Ballotpedia profile) was located. Voters with personal knowledge of Courtney Virginia Booth can reach ballotproject.org with corrections or additions.\n\n## Sources\n[1] North Carolina State Board of Elections, 2026 Candidate Filing List (bulk CSV), accessed 2026-07-21 -- https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Elections/2026/Candidate%20Filing/Candidate_Listing_2026.csv\n[2] North Carolina State Board of Elections - Voter Search -- https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/\n[3] North Carolina State Board of Elections voter history file (`ncvhis_Statewide`), published at https://dl.ncsbe.gov/\n[4] North Carolina State Board of Elections, March 3, 2026 primary results by precinct (results_pct_20260303, dl.ncsbe.gov)","firstname":"Courtney","lastname":"Booth","middlename":"Virginia","suffix":null,"token":"a5080908f25e7018"},"token":"65vgwb88S0lmRULT"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"district_attorney_general","o.office":"district_attorney","office":"district_attorney","officedescription":"The district attorney general is the elected chief prosecutor for a judicial district \u2014 deciding what cases are charged, presenting cases to the grand jury, and prosecuting criminal matters. It is a leadership role over a public-law office with wide discretion.","officequalities":"- Prosecutorial leadership of a district attorney's office of attorneys, investigators, and victim-services staff.\n- Working knowledge of Tennessee criminal law and procedure, constitutional law, and prosecutorial ethics under the Rules of Professional Conduct.\n- Charging-policy judgment that shapes the whole criminal-court docket \u2014 what is presented to the grand jury, diverted, or resolved by plea.\n- Budget and personnel management of a public-law-office operation.\n- Public-facing communication on cases of community concern, in cooperation with police, courts, and victim communities.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"District Attorney","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"District Attorney District 40"}