{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Jon Welborn","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJon William Welborn is a Republican judge on North Carolina's 22B Judicial District Court (Davidson and Davie counties, redesignated District 33 for 2026), elected in 2022, and is seeking re-election in the November 3, 2026 general election for District Court, District 33 Seat 5 [1][2][10].\n\n## Background and education\nWelborn earned a B.S. in political science and criminal justice from Appalachian State University in 2002 and a J.D. from the Appalachian School of Law in 2005, completing an internship with the Iredell County District Attorney's Office while in law school [8].\n\n## Career\nWelborn began his legal career as a sole practitioner in 2005, later becoming a partner at The Law Offices of Benton & Welborn, PLLC (2006-2011) and Gottholm, Welborn & Benton (2011-2013). In 2014 he founded the Welborn Law Firm, focusing on criminal defense and family law, and continued in private practice until his election to the judiciary [8]. He has served on the boards of the Farmington Community Center, Family Promise of Davie County, and the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford; chaired the Davie County Republican Party's Executive Board; and is a master mason with Statesville #27 Masonic Lodge. He has also volunteered as a fireman and medical responder for the Buck Shoals Volunteer Fire Department [8]. His professional recognitions include the AVVO Client Choice Award, the American Institute of DUI/DWI Attorneys' Client Satisfaction Award, and a 2015 designation as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers Organization [8].\n\n## Office history\nWelborn first ran for judicial office in 2016 as a Republican candidate for the Superior Court 6th Division, District 22B. He placed third of four candidates with 16.28% of the vote (6,550 votes); Lori Hamilton (43.98%) and Jeffrey Berg (30.24%) won the two seats, and Welborn finished ahead of David Doherty (9.51%) [1]. He ran again in the 2022 Republican primary for the 22B Judicial District, on the ballot alongside Cindy Ellis and Eric J. Farr, and won election to the district court bench [2].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Jon Welborn - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jon_Welborn)\n[2] [Jon Welborn (North Carolina 22B Judicial District, North Carolina, candidate 2022) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jon_Welborn_(North_Carolina_22B_Judicial_District,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2022))\n[8] [Judge Jon W. Welborn - Professional Background & Legal Expertise | Trellis.Law](https://trellis.law/judge/jon.w.welborn)\n[10] [Jon Welborn - North Carolina Candidate - Transparency USA](https://www.transparencyusa.org/nc/candidate/jon-welborn/)","firstname":"Jon","lastname":"Welborn","middlename":"William","suffix":null,"token":"79c92cc4cc34dd16"},"token":"W7y8-Ki4DJRiJKwo"}],"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 05"}