{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"John S. Arrowood","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"John Stanley Arrowood is the incumbent judge for Seat\u202f1 of the North Carolina Court of Appeals and is seeking re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election as a Democrat\u202f[1]. The Court of Appeals is the state\u2019s intermediate appellate court, tasked with reviewing decisions from trial courts and certain administrative agencies to ensure correct application of law and procedural fairness\u202f[1]. Judges on this court must be licensed attorneys, possess substantial legal experience, and demonstrate impartiality and sound judgment; they serve eight\u2011year terms and are elected on a statewide ballot\u202f[1].\n\nArrowood was born in Burnsville, North Carolina, and grew up in Yancey County before moving to Lenoir after his parents\u2019 deaths at age fifteen\u202f[3]. He earned a B.A., magna cum laude, from Catawba College in 1979, receiving the Whitener Award for leadership, scholarship, and service\u202f[11]. He then obtained his J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1982\u202f[3].\n\nHis legal career spans more than four decades. After serving as a research assistant and staff attorney for the Court of Appeals in the 1980s\u202f[3], Arrowood entered private practice with James,\u202fMcElroy\u202f&\u202fDiehl, P.A., first as an associate (1989\u20112007) and later as a partner (2009\u20112017)\u202f[3][1]. He was appointed a Special Superior Court Judge in 2007\u202f[3] and first served on the Court of Appeals from 2007\u20112008, appointed by Governor Mike Easley\u202f[1][3]. Governor Roy\u202fCooper re\u2011appointed him in 2017, and he was elected to a full term in 2018, becoming the first openly LGBTQ person elected to statewide office in North Carolina\u202f[12][1]. He was re\u2011elected in 2022 and is now completing a term that ends December\u202f31,\u202f2026\u202f[1].\n\nBeyond the bench, Arrowood has held numerous public\u2011service roles: member of the North Carolina Railroad Board (2001\u20112007), Arts Council (2003\u20112007), Banking Commission (1995\u20112001), Rules Review Commission (1999\u20112001), and Election Law Review Commission (1994\u20111995)\u202f[3]. He serves on the Mint Museum of Art Board of Trustees and the Charlotte Center for Urban Ministries board, and is active in St.\u202fPeter\u2019s Episcopal Church, where he has chaired outreach commissions\u202f[3][11]. He is an American Arbitration Association\u2011accredited arbitrator and certified mediator\u202f[11].\n\nIn his judicial work, Arrowood has authored over 100 appellate opinions, emphasizing clear, timely, and well\u2011reasoned decisions\u202f[7]. He has been endorsed by labor and environmental groups such as the NC AFL\u2011CIO, Sierra Club North Carolina, and Bull City Anna\u202f[1]. His campaign platform stresses impartial administration of justice, equal treatment of litigants, and maintaining the independence of the judiciary\u202f[7][10]. Arrowood\u2019s re\u2011election bid is supported by the North Carolina Democratic Party\u2019s \u201cJudicial Spotlight\u201d series, which highlights his experience and commitment to fairness\u202f[10].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [John S. Arrowood - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/John_S._Arrowood)\n- [3] [John Arrowood | North Carolina Judicial Branch](https://www.nccourts.gov/judicial-directory/john-arrowood)\n- [5] [Appeals court candidate John Arrowood](https://www.tuesdayforumcharlotte.org/2014/10/28/appeals-court-candidate-john-arrowood/)\n- [7] [John Arrowood](https://indyweek.com/news/politics/elections/john-arrowood/)\n- [10] [Judge John Arrowood, A Big, Blown Up Deficit, HB127 | North Carolina Democratic Party](https://www.ncdp.org/content/060425/)\n- [11] [Re-Elect Judge John Arrowood to NC Court of Appeals](https://www.keepjudgearrowood.com)\n- [12] [Equality and justice for all: Judge John Arrowood is a North Carolina trailblazer | North Carolina Lawyers Weekly](https://nclawyersweekly.com/2019/02/07/equality-and-justice-for-all-judge-john-arrowood-is-a-north-carolina-trailblazer/)","firstname":"John","lastname":"Arrowood","middlename":"Stanley","suffix":null,"token":"51059f174112ab82"},"token":"Lt6lf84Cbe"},{"candidatename":"Michael C. Byrne","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nMichael Christopher Byrne is the Republican candidate for Seat 1 on the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 2026 election. He defeated Matt Smith in the March 3, 2026 Republican primary, 51.5% to 48.5% (301,726 votes to 283,649), and faces incumbent Democrat John S. Arrowood in the November 3, 2026 general election [1].\n\n## Background and education\n\nByrne was raised in Wake County. He is a graduate of Millbrook High School, holds a bachelor's degree from North Carolina State University, and earned his law degree from Campbell University School of Law [1]. He is 58 years old and lives in Cary, North Carolina, with his wife and their rescue dog, Tilda [2].\n\n## Career\n\nByrne has served as an Administrative Law Judge for the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) since 2020. By his own account, he has authored nearly 400 opinions in that role and, before it, litigated 272 cases within the OAH as an attorney representing law-enforcement officers and public employees, in addition to personally arguing more than 20 cases before the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court [2]. Nine of his decisions as a judge have been appealed to the Court of Appeals, and all nine were unanimously affirmed [3].\n\nByrne has been endorsed by three of North Carolina's largest police organizations -- the National Association of Police Organizations, the North Carolina Fraternal Order of Police, and the North Carolina Police Benevolent Association -- described as an unprecedented \"trifecta\" of endorsements in a North Carolina judicial primary [4].\n\n## Sources\n\n- [1] [Michael Byrne (North Carolina) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Michael_Byrne_(North_Carolina))\n- [2] [Michael C. Byrne | The Election Hub](https://www.theelectionhub.org/mecklenburg-county/michael-c.-byrne/2026-primary/north-carolina)\n- [3] [Administrative Law Judge Byrne: Winning As an Attorney and as a Judge](https://www.sspba.org/gen/articles/Administrative_Law_Judge_Byrne___Winning__As_an_Attorney_and_as_a_Judge_1083.jsp)\n- [4] [GOP's Byrne earns trifecta of endorsements in Court of Appeals race from state's 'BIG THREE' police groups](https://dailyhaymaker.com/gops-byrne-earns-trifecta-of-endorsements-in-court-of-appeals-race-from-states-big-three-police-groups/)","firstname":"Michael","lastname":"Byrne","middlename":"Christopher","suffix":null,"token":"1ab9e68f4b5861f1"},"token":"L4oXLdgymr"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":null,"o.office":"court_of_appeals","office":"court_of_appeals","officedescription":"An appellate judge (North Carolina Court of Appeals or Supreme Court) reviews decisions of the trial courts for legal error, sitting in panels and deciding cases on the briefs, record, and argument rather than holding trials. The Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort.","officequalities":"- Review of trial-court decisions for legal error, deciding cases on the record, briefs, and oral argument rather than by trial.\n- Deep command of substantive and procedural law and of controlling precedent, since appellate rulings bind the courts below.\n- Judicial temperament and impartiality under the North Carolina Code of Judicial Conduct, including recusal when conflicts arise.\n- Clear, reasoned legal writing \u2014 appellate opinions are the law other courts follow.\n- Collegiality: appellate judges decide in panels and must persuade and be persuaded.\n- Integrity and independence from political or financial influence.","officeterm":8,"officetitle":"Court of Appeals Judge","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Nc Court Of Appeals Judge Seat 01"}