{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Thai Vang","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Thai Vang is a Republican incumbent serving as a judge on the 20A Judicial District Court of North Carolina, which covers Montgomery and Stanly counties, and is seeking re\u2011election in the November 2026 judicial race.  He was first elected to the bench in 2018 and won a second term in 2022, demonstrating a decade of experience presiding over district\u2011court matters.  Vang was born in Thailand and is of Hmong descent; his family arrived in the United States as political refugees in 1983.  He earned a bachelor\u2019s degree from George Washington University and a J.D. from North Carolina Central University School of Law [9].\n\nBefore joining the judiciary, Vang practiced law in Spartanburg, South Carolina (2005\u20112008) and then served for more than ten years as chief assistant district attorney in the Stanly County District Attorney\u2019s Office, where he handled a broad range of criminal prosecutions [9].  In addition to his legal career, he is a certified mediator with the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission, maintaining active mediator certification for court\u2011based mediation programs such as Mediated Settlement Conferences and Family Financial Settlement Conferences [2].  He also manages his family\u2019s chicken farm outside Troy, North Carolina.\n\nAs a district\u2011court judge, Vang\u2019s duties include overseeing civil and criminal cases, conducting bench and jury trials, and issuing rulings on matters ranging from family law to felony offenses.  His re\u2011election campaign emphasizes continued service to the community, leveraging his prosecutorial background, judicial experience, and mediation expertise to promote fair and efficient resolution of disputes.\n\nVang is registered as a Republican, aligning with the party\u2019s platform on law\u2011and\u2011order and judicial accountability, though judicial races in North Carolina are officially nonpartisan on the ballot.  He resides in the district he serves and remains active in local civic affairs.\n\n## Sources\n- [2] [Thai Vang | North Carolina Judicial Branch](https://ncdrc.gov/judicial-directory/thai-vang)\n- [9] [Judge Thai Vang - Professional Background & Legal Expertise | Trellis.Law](https://trellis.law/judge/thai.vang)","firstname":"Thai","lastname":"Vang","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"620530f71cbb5ab2"},"token":"Sb2wmhcx9SSQU47f"}],"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 28 Seat 03"}