{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Karen Eady-Williams","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"Karen Elise Eady-Williams is the incumbent Superior Court judge for Judicial District 26F of the North Carolina 5th Superior Court Division and is seeking re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election as the Democratic nominee\u30101\u3011. The position is an elected eight\u2011year term on the state\u2019s trial court, which handles civil and criminal matters and requires the judge to be a licensed North Carolina attorney.\n\nEady\u2011Williams earned a Bachelor of Arts from the College of William &\u202fMary in 1989 and a Juris Doctor from Wake\u202fForest University School of Law in 1992\u30101\u3011. She began her legal career as an assistant public defender in the 26th Judicial District, then served as an assistant United States attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Prior to entering the judiciary she was vice president and assistant general counsel for Wachovia Corp\u30101\u3011.\n\nIn 2010 she was appointed by Governor Pat\u202fPerdue to the North Carolina 26th Judicial District Court, filling the remainder of a term left vacant by Judge Bill\u202fBelk\u30102\u3011. She served on the district bench until her appointment to the Superior Court in 2017, taking office on January\u202f1,\u202f2019. Her initial Superior Court seat was in the Seventh Division (District\u202f26A) but was reassigned to the Fifth Division after legislative redistricting in 2018\u30101\u3011. She was elected without opposition in 2016 and won a full eight\u2011year term in 2018 with 100\u202f% of the vote\u30101\u3011.\n\nEady\u2011Williams\u2019 current term runs until December\u202f31,\u202f2026, and she is on the ballot for re\u2011election in 2026. The Democratic primary scheduled for March\u202f3,\u202f2026 was cancelled, automatically advancing her to the general election, and the Republican primary was likewise cancelled\u30101\u3011. She will seek another eight\u2011year term on the bench.\n\nDuring her tenure she has issued rulings that attracted political attention, including a temporary restraining order in the summer of 2023 that limited the Charlotte\u2011Mecklenburg Police Department\u2019s use of chemical agents against protesters. The order led to threats against her and was highlighted by the North Carolina Republican Party in a mailer that portrayed her as a \u201cradical\u201d judge, a claim the Democratic Party condemned as a racist dog\u2011whistle\u301010\u3011. These actions illustrate the judicial and public\u2011policy issues that can arise in a Superior Court judge\u2019s work.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Karen Eady-Williams - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Karen_Eady-Williams)\n- [2] [New Judge in 26th Judicial District - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/New_Judge_in_26th_Judicial_District)\n- [3] [North Carolina elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_elections,_2026)\n- [4] [Karen Eady-Williams | North Carolina Judicial Branch](https://www.nccourts.gov/judicial-directory/karen-eady-williams)\n- [5] [Candidate Lists | NCSBE](https://www.ncsbe.gov/results-data/candidate-lists)\n- [7] [Candidate Profiles \u2013 NC Voter Guide](https://ncvoterguide.org/profiles/)\n- [9] [Judge Karen Eady-Williams - Professional Background & Legal Expertise | Trellis.Law](https://trellis.law/judge/karen.eady-williams)\n- [10] [This judge isn't on the ballot, but she's on a GOP mailer](https://www.wral.com/story/this-judge-isn-t-on-the-ballot-but-she-s-on-a-gop-mailer/19361065/)\n- [12] [About \u2013 A Better Mecklenburg](https://bettermecklenburg.com/about/)","firstname":"Karen","lastname":"Eady-Williams","middlename":"Elise","suffix":null,"token":"4a6e5fdc41947e80"},"token":"HfA14qQ8VKDnw0xc"}],"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 26F Seat 01"}