{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Myra Griffin","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"Myra Leake Griffin is the Democratic candidate for the North Carolina 1st Superior Court Division, Judicial District\u202f16B Seat\u202f2, on the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general ballot. She won the March\u202f3,\u202f2026 Democratic primary with 68.9% of the vote (32,372 votes) against Ameshia Cooper\u202fChester, and now faces the Republican nominee in the general election [1]. Griffin currently serves as Vice\u2011Chair of the North Carolina Industrial Commission, a quasi\u2011judicial agency that adjudicates workers\u2019 compensation and tort claims, a role she has held since her 2019 appointment as Vice\u2011Chair following a 2018 gubernatorial appointment to the full commission [8][4].\n\nBorn and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Griffin moved to Durham 31\u202fyears ago, where she has raised a family and built her public\u2011service career [4][7]. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law [4][7]. While in law school she interned with the Land Loss Prevention Project, assisting farmers in crisis, an experience she cites as shaping her commitment to equitable justice [4][7].\n\nGriffin\u2019s professional trajectory began as a law clerk and administrative hearing officer at the Industrial Commission, followed by service as an Assistant Attorney General representing the Commission statewide in civil litigation and criminal appeals. In 2005 she was appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Industrial Commission, where she presided over contested workers\u2019 compensation and tort claims, issuing written decisions and managing pre\u2011trial proceedings\u2014functions that mirror the duties of a Superior Court judge [4][7]. Governor Roy Cooper appointed her to the full Commission in 2018 to fill a vacancy; the General Assembly confirmed her appointment, and she was re\u2011confirmed for a second six\u2011year term beginning in 2022, serving currently as Vice\u2011Chair [3][4][7].\n\nBeyond her commission work, Griffin contributed to community oversight as a member of the Durham Police Civilian Review Board from June\u202f2018 to June\u202f2022, reviewing citizen complaints and internal investigations, which she says deepened her understanding of how legal decisions affect everyday lives [8]. She also remains active in local civic organizations, including the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, which has endorsed her candidacy [6][12].\n\nGriffin\u2019s campaign platform emphasizes \u201cFair Courts, Strong Community.\u201d She advocates for a justice system that provides fairness without exception, links civil justice to economic justice, and seeks timely, transparent court operations [4][8]. Endorsements from prominent figures such as former Chief Justice Cheri\u202fBeasley, former Durham Mayor Steve\u202fSchewel, State Senator Natalie\u202fMurdock, and State Representative Zack\u202fHawkins underscore her broad support across the legal and political spectrum [1][5][6].\n\nIf elected, Griffin intends to bring her two\u2011decades of quasi\u2011judicial experience, her record of impartial decision\u2011making, and her community\u2011focused philosophy to the Superior Court bench, aiming to ensure that every litigant receives a fair hearing and that the courts remain accessible, compassionate, and trusted by Durham residents.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Myra Griffin - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Myra_Griffin)\n- [2] [Candidate Lists | NCSBE](https://www.ncsbe.gov/results-data/candidate-lists)\n- [3] [house joint resolution drhjr40786-lg-193](https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2017/Bills/House/HTML/H1100v0.html)\n- [4] [Myra Griffin for Durham Superior Court \u2013 Myra Griffin for Durham Superior Court](https://myraforjudge.com/)\n- [5] [Endorsements \u2013 Myra Griffin for Durham Superior Court](https://myraforjudge.com/endorsements)\n- [6] [Endorsements for Myra Griffin - North Carolina Democratic Party Candidate](https://bluevoterguide.org/NC/candidate_Myra_Griffin/721935)\n- [7] [About \u2013 Myra Griffin for Durham Superior Court](https://myraforjudge.com/about)\n- [8] [Superior Court Judge: Myra Griffin | 2026 Primary Candidate](https://indyweek.com/news/superior-court-judge-myra-griffin-2026/)\n- [9] [Attorney Myra Griffin | DCABP](https://www.dcabp.org/attorney-myra-griffin)\n- [10] [2026 Election](https://www.peoplesalliancepac.org/)\n- [12] [NC Superior Court Judge District 16B S2 | DCABP](https://www.dcabp.org/nc-superior-court-judge)","firstname":"Myra","lastname":"Griffin","middlename":"Leake","suffix":null,"token":"7a53193b21c4e523"},"token":"qqV87uu8Irm3rRqR"},{"candidatename":"Ameshia Cooper Chester","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"**Ameshia Cooper Chester lost the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary for NC Superior Court, District 16B Seat 02, placing 2nd of 2 candidates with 14,720 votes (31.2%); Myra Griffin won the nomination with 32,512 votes (68.8%) [4].**\n\nAmeshia Cooper Chester is a Democratic candidate for North Carolina Superior Court Judge, District 16B, Seat 2 in North Carolina's 2026 elections. The North Carolina State Board of Elections' 2026 candidate filing list shows Ameshia Cooper Chester filing as a DEM candidate on December 1, 2025 [1].\n\nAccording to the North Carolina voter file, Ameshia Cooper Chester is a registered voter in Durham County, North Carolina, registered since 2014 (12 years), with party affiliation listed as Democratic [2]. NC's bulk voter export publishes only year of birth, not a full date; the voter file lists Ameshia Cooper Chester's year of birth as 1988 [2].\n\nThe voter history file shows 18 elections voted in since 2016, most recently the March 3, 2026 primary election [3].\n\nNo additional published biographical information beyond the candidate filing and voter records was located. Voters with personal knowledge of Ameshia Cooper Chester can reach ballotproject.org with corrections or additions.\n\n## Sources\n[1] [North Carolina State Board of Elections, 2026 Candidate Filing List](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Elections/2026/Candidate%20Filing/Candidate_Listing_2026.csv) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-21\n\n[2] North Carolina State Board of Elections voter registration file, accessed 2026-07-21 (https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/)\n\n[3] North Carolina State Board of Elections voter history file (`ncvhis_Statewide`), accessed 2026-07-21 (https://dl.ncsbe.gov/)\n\n[4] North Carolina State Board of Elections, March 3, 2026 primary election results (precinct-level canvass), published at dl.ncsbe.gov (https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2026_03_03/results_pct_20260303.zip)","firstname":"Ameshia","lastname":"Chester","middlename":"Cooper","suffix":null,"token":"d1e93c857d1f4dcc"},"token":"5UYjgbMF6c04SBbw"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":null,"o.office":"superior_court_judge","office":"superior_court_judge","officedescription":"In North Carolina, a superior court judge presides over the general-jurisdiction trial court \u2014 felony criminal cases and civil cases above the district-court limit \u2014 riding a rotation among the counties of the judicial district. Decisions are subject to appellate review.","officequalities":"- Trial-court judge of general civil and criminal jurisdiction \u2014 presides over jury and bench trials, dispositive motions, and felony sentencing.\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 the substantive and procedural law that controls, and the published precedent.\n- Docket management across a rotating district while honoring due process.\n- Clear written and oral explanation of rulings, so the parties and the public can follow the reasoning.","officeterm":8,"officetitle":"Superior Court Judge","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Nc Superior Court Judge District 16B Seat 02"}