{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Eric F. Eller","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nEric F. Eller is a candidate for District Court Judge in District 35, Seat 01 of North Carolina [1]. He has announced his candidacy for this position in the upcoming 2026 election [2]. To pursue the district court bench, Eller resigned from his role as chairman of the Watauga County Board of Elections in November 2025 [3][4].\n\n## Background and education\n\nEric F. Eller is a candidate for District Court Judge in North Carolina\u2019s District 35, Seat 01 [1]. He resides in Boone, North Carolina [3]. Specific details regarding his birth year, upbringing, religious affiliation, and educational background are not provided in the available sources.\n\n## Career\n\nEric F. Eller is a licensed attorney who has been practicing law since 1995 [7]. He is the principal of Eller Law Office, P.C., located in Boone, North Carolina, where he handles cases involving traffic citations and misdemeanors [5][6][7].\n\nPrior to his current legal career, Eller served as chairman of the Watauga County Board of Elections [3][4]. He resigned from this position in November 2025 to pursue a seat on the District Court bench [3][4].\n\n## Office history\n\nEric F. Eller served as chairman of the Watauga County Board of Elections [3]. He resigned from this position in November 2025 to pursue a seat on the District Court bench [3][4].\n\nIn 2026, Eller is a candidate for District Court Judge in District 035, Seat 01 [1]. He announced his candidacy for this office in an earlier filing [2].\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n\nEric F. Eller is an attorney who serves as chairman of the Watauga County Board of Elections [3]. He resigned from this position in November 2025 to pursue the District Court bench [3][4]. His candidacy for District Court Judge, District 35, Seat 1 was announced by the Avery Journal [2].\n\nPublicly available candidate profiles on Ballotpedia do not provide specific details regarding Eller's business interests, family wealth source, ownership stakes, or significant financial disclosures [1]. Consequently, information about the sources of his personal wealth is not included in this biography based on the current record.\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Eric F. Eller (North Carolina District Court District 35 Seat 1, North Carolina, candidate 2026) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Eric_F._Eller_(North_Carolina_District_Court_District_35_Seat_1,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2026))\n[2] [Eller announces candidacy for district court justice | Community | averyjournal.com](https://www.averyjournal.com/news/community/eller-announces-candidacy-for-district-court-justice/article_1116f5b5-e36a-4b1a-b535-81db209359f0.html)\n[3] [Eric Eller resigns from Watauga County Board of Elections to pursue District Court Bench - High Country Press](https://www.hcpress.com/front-page/eric-eller-resigns-from-watauga-county-board-of-elections-to-pursue-district-court-bench.html)\n[4] [Eller resigns as Watauga BOE chair, will seek District Court seat | Local News | wataugademocrat.com](https://www.wataugademocrat.com/news/local/eller-resigns-as-watauga-boe-chair-will-seek-district-court-seat/article_6ad8a133-8f44-4a73-9ad3-2b69aacf270b.html)\n[5] [Eller Law Office, P.C.](https://www.ericellerlaw.com)\n[6] [Mr. Eric F. Eller - Boone, NC Attorney](https://www.lawyers.com/boone/north-carolina/eric-eller-1389272-a/)\n[7] [About \u2014 Eller Law Office, P.C.](https://www.ericellerlaw.com/about)","firstname":"Eric","lastname":"Eller","middlename":"Fraser","suffix":null,"token":"e5743d088843f54b"},"token":"gYJRAQ4m6g5xkNu8"},{"candidatename":"S. Justin Ray","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nSamuel Justin Ray is a Republican candidate for NC District Court Judge, District 35, Seat 1, covering Avery, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga, and Yancey counties in western North Carolina [1][2]. He ran in the March 3, 2026 Republican primary against Eric F. Eller [1].\n\n## Career\nPer his own responses in a Watauga Democrat primary voter guide, Ray has practiced law for seven years, with ten years of total legal experience including hands-on District Court work during and after law school [1]. His practice has focused on civil litigation, business disputes, real property matters, and probate and estate-related litigation, representing individuals and small to mid-sized businesses [1]. He describes himself as an entrepreneur and small-business owner in the Newland, NC area [1][2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [2026 Primary Voter Guide: NC District Court Judge District 35 Seat 1 \u2013 Watauga Democrat](https://www.wataugademocrat.com/news/local/2026-primary-voter-guide-nc-district-court-judge-district-35-seat-1-republican/article_b6a2ffd9-32c6-4271-ab7a-b31b77a45912.html)\n[2] [North Carolina 2026 Candidate Listing (NCSBE)](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Elections/2026/Candidate%20Filing/Candidate_Listing_2026.csv) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-20","firstname":"Samuel","lastname":"Ray","middlename":"Justin","suffix":null,"token":"8175b0e9d20e30e6"},"token":"rlFDtnVO4ByRagYx"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":null,"o.office":"district_court_judge","office":"district_court_judge","officedescription":"In North Carolina, a district court judge presides over the high-volume lower trial court \u2014 misdemeanors, smaller civil cases, and most family and juvenile matters (custody, support, domestic violence, abuse/neglect). Many litigants appear without lawyers.","officequalities":"- Judge of a high-volume district court \u2014 misdemeanors, smaller civil cases, and family and juvenile matters, often with unrepresented parties.\n- Judicial temperament: the willingness to listen, deliberate, and apply the law dispassionately to people whose lives are deeply affected by the outcome.\n- Impartiality and ethics under the North Carolina Code of Judicial Conduct, including recusal when conflicts arise.\n- Working knowledge of family, juvenile, and criminal procedure and the precedent that controls.\n- Efficient management of a heavy docket while honoring due process.\n- Accessibility and clarity for the many who appear without counsel.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"District Court Judge","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Nc District Court Judge District 35 Seat 01"}