{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Mary F. Covington","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nMary F. Covington is the incumbent District Court Judge for North Carolina's 22B Judicial District (Davidson and Davie counties, redesignated District 33 for 2026), based in Thomasville [2]. She filed as the Republican candidate for District Court, District 33 Seat 1, in the November 3, 2026 general election [1].\n\n## Career\nCovington joined the district court bench in 2002 and has been re-elected in 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 [2]. Before her judicial career, she worked as an assistant district attorney beginning in 1998 [2].\n\n## Background and education\nCovington received a bachelor's degree in political science and government from Belmont University in 1990 and a J.D. from Regent University School of Law in 1993 [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [2026 General Candidate List \u2013 NC State Board of Elections](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Elections/2026/Candidate%20Filing/2026_general_candidate_list_by_contest_federal_and_state.pdf)\n[2] [Judge Mary F. Covington - Professional Background & Legal Expertise | Trellis.Law](https://trellis.law/judge/mary.f.covington)","firstname":"Mary","lastname":"Covington","middlename":"Fowler","suffix":null,"token":"8147802cbe6e56c8"},"token":"kc7pCCaUKzQpxtvl"}],"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 33 Seat 01"}