{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Daniel Hines Entzminger","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nDaniel Hines Entzminger is a Republican candidate for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 3, Seat 1, on the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot [2].\n\n## Office history\nEntzminger previously ran for North Carolina Judicial District 3A (Leech Seat) in 2016. He led the March 15, 2016 primary field with 33.24% of the vote (11,519 votes), then lost the November 8, 2016 general election to Wendy Hazelton, 52.37% to 47.63% (36,964 to 33,617 votes) [1]. District Court judges in North Carolina must be licensed attorneys, residents of the district, and under age 72 [1].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Daniel Entzminger - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Daniel_Entzminger)\n- [2] North Carolina State Board of Elections, 2026 Candidate Filing list (District Court Judge District 03 Seat 01), accessed 2026-07-20","firstname":"Daniel","lastname":"Entzminger","middlename":"Hines","suffix":null,"token":"48b37ff1ca10c5f4"},"token":"SECrPK5i8xewUgJ_"},{"candidatename":"Watsi M. Sutton","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nWatsi M. Sutton serves as the Town Attorney for the Town of Williamston and the Executive Director at Koinonia Community Solutions, roles she has held since April 2021 [3]. She is also the Managing Principal of Watsi M. Sutton, Attorney at Law, PA, a position she has maintained since April 2006 [3].\n\nSutton is running for District Court Judge Dist 003 Seat 01 in the 2026 election [1].\n\n## Background and education\n\nWatsi M. Sutton was born and raised in Washington, North Carolina [2]. She is a self-described Christian [1]. Sutton earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from East Carolina University and her Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law [1].\n\n## Career\n\nWatsi M. Sutton was born and raised in Washington, North Carolina [2]. She attended North Carolina A&T State University, graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Economics in 1997 [4]. Sutton subsequently obtained her law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law in 2000 [4]. She was admitted to the North Carolina Bar in August 2000 [4].\n\nSutton has operated Watsi M. Sutton, Attorney at Law, PA, as a private practice since April 2006 [3]. In her legal career, she previously served as a Partner at Gray Sutton PLLC Attorneys [3]. Her legal specialization includes family, criminal, traffic, and juvenile law [3].\n\nIn addition to her private practice, Sutton serves as the Town Attorney for the Town of Williamston [3]. She also holds the position of Executive Director at Koinonia Community Solutions, a role she began in April 2021 [3]. In this capacity, she has led initiatives such as the launch of Koinonia Community Housing to address affordable housing crises in Pitt County [6], [7]. Sutton continues to serve in these professional capacities as of 2025 [5].\n\n## Office history\n\nWatsi M. Sutton has served as Managing Principal of Watsi M. Sutton, Attorney at Law, PA since April 2006 [3]. In this role, she specializes in family, criminal, traffic, and juvenile law [3]. She previously worked as a Partner at Gray Sutton PLLC Attorneys [3].\n\nSutton serves as the Executive Director at Koinonia Community Solutions and Town Attorney for the Town of Williamston, with both roles beginning in April 2021 [3].\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n\nWatsi M. Sutton is the Managing Principal of Watsi M. Sutton, Attorney at Law, PA, a firm she has led since April 2006 [3]. She specializes in family, criminal, traffic, and juvenile law [3]. Prior to establishing her own practice, Sutton served as a Partner at Gray Sutton PLLC Attorneys [3].\n\nIn addition to her private legal practice, Sutton serves as the Executive Director of Koinonia Community Solutions and as Town Attorney for the Town of Williamston, roles she began in April 2021 [3]. She was born and raised in Washington, North Carolina [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Watsi M. Sutton - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Watsi_M._Sutton)\n[2] [Watsi M. Sutton! Born and raised in Washington, North Carolina ...](https://www.facebook.com/KoinoniaSolutions/photos/meet-our-executive-director-watsi-m-suttonborn-and-raised-in-washington-north-ca/3139355746305612/)\n[3] [Watsi M. Sutton - Town Attorney at TOWN OF WILLIAMSTON - The Org](https://theorg.com/org/town-of-williamston/org-chart/watsi-m-sutton)\n[4] [Watsi M. Sutton! Born and raised in Washington, North Carolina ...](https://www.facebook.com/KoinoniaSolutions/posts/meet-our-executive-director-watsi-m-suttonborn-and-raised-in-washington-north-ca/3139358252972028/)\n[5] [Email from Koinonia Community Solutions - Constant Contact](https://campaignlp.constantcontact.com/em/1138323684972/201f7863-de0d-4551-8e54-05bc43c460cc)\n[6] [Koinonia Community Housing launches new initiative to combat ...](https://www.witn.com/2024/06/21/koinonia-community-housing-launches-new-initiative-combat-affordable-housing-crisis-enc/)\n[7] [Koinonia Community Housing Featured on WITN for Expanding ...](https://www.koinoniasolutions.org/press-links/koinonia-community-housing-featured-in-witn)","firstname":"Watsi","lastname":"Sutton","middlename":"Mateenya","suffix":null,"token":"d69cca3819a41c44"},"token":"RMtBHREN1QO2o_CP"}],"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 03 Seat 01"}