{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Craig Collins","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Craig Robert Collins is the Republican candidate for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat\u202f3 in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election. The Republican primary for the seat was cancelled, so Collins advanced automatically to the ballot where he will face Democrat Christine\u202fWalczyk.\n\nCollins earned a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1994 and a J.D. from Villanova University School of Law in 1997\u202f[1]. He began his legal career as an assistant district attorney in Gaston County, serving from 1997 to 2006 and prosecuting thousands of criminal cases on behalf of the state\u202f[4][11]. After leaving the DA\u2019s office, he opened the Law Office of Craig Collins, operating the private practice from 2007 until 2016\u202f[1].\n\nIn 2016 Collins was appointed a North Carolina District Court judge for District\u202f27A, a position he has held through at least the end of 2026\u202f[6][1]. The campaign website also notes that he served as a District Court judge until 2024 and is now a Superior Court judge\u202f[4]. He has presided over a wide range of criminal, traffic, juvenile and civil matters, and describes himself as a \u201cconstitutional conservative\u201d who believes the Constitution\u2019s words have fixed meaning\u202f[11]. Collins is active in local Republican politics, having served as chairman of the party\u2019s 10th district\u202f[11].\n\nCollins has sought elected judicial office several times. In the May\u202f17,\u202f2022 Republican primary he ran for the North Carolina 27A Judicial District seat, competing against Ashley\u202fC.\u202fHyman\u202f[2]. He was the Republican candidate for the North Carolina 5th Superior Court Division, District\u202f38 Seat\u202f3, in the November\u202f5,\u202f2024 general election\u202f[3][6]. In each case he was listed as a Republican and received the party\u2019s endorsement to appear on the ballot.\n\nFor the 2026 Court of Appeals race, Collins is listed as the Republican nominee for Seat\u202f3. The seat is currently held by Democrat Allegra\u202fCollins, who is not seeking re\u2011election; the Democratic primary produced Christine\u202fWalczyk and James\u202fWhalen, with Walczyk advancing to the general election\u202f[1][12]. Collins\u2019s campaign emphasizes his extensive courtroom experience, his prosecutorial background, and his commitment to \u201cconstitutional conservatism.\u201d He also highlights his Christian faith and his leadership within the local GOP\u202f[11].\n\nCollins can be contacted via email at craig@votecraigcollins.com, a address provided on his Ballotpedia profile\u202f[1]. His campaign website, https://www.votecraigcollins.com/, offers additional information about his background and judicial philosophy.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Craig Collins - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Craig_Collins)\n- [2] [Craig Collins (North Carolina 27A Judicial District, North Carolina, candidate 2022) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Craig_Collins_(North_Carolina_27A_Judicial_District,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2022))\n- [3] [Craig Collins (North Carolina 5th Superior Court Division District 38 Seat 3, North Carolina, candidate 2024) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Craig_Collins_(North_Carolina_5th_Superior_Court_Division_District_38_Seat_3,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2024))\n- [4] [Judge Craig Collins | Learn More](https://www.votecraigcollins.com/)\n- [6] [Craig Collins | BallotReady](https://www.ballotready.org/people/craig-collins-94959c10-9477-40a4-95cf-015f3bd921d7)\n- [8] [Craig Collins - North Carolina Candidate - Transparency USA](https://www.transparencyusa.org/nc/candidate/craig-collins?cycle=2024-election-cycle)\n- [11] [Gaston County: N.C. Superior Court Judge District 38 Seat 3 | WFAE 90.7 - Charlotte's NPR News Source](https://www.wfae.org/2024-10-18/gaston-county-n-c-superior-court-judge-district-38-seat-3)\n- [12] [Announcing the 2026 NC Judicial Slate! - Carolina Democracy](https://www.carolinademocracy.com/p/announcing-the-2026-nc-judicial-slate)","firstname":"Craig","lastname":"Collins","middlename":"Robert","suffix":null,"token":"162f7f1e9387a48a"},"token":"XjymeCxGiq"},{"candidatename":"Christine Marie Walczyk","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"Christine M. Walczyk is a Democratic District Court judge for the 10C Seat\u202f2 of the North Carolina 10th Judicial District and is the Democratic nominee for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat\u202f3 in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election [1]. She has served on the Wake County District Court bench since her 2007 appointment and was re\u2011elected without opposition in 2020 and 2024, most recently winning 100\u202f% of the vote in the 2024 general election [1].\n\nBorn in Raleigh and raised in South\u202fFlorida, Walczyk returned to North Carolina in 1992 to attend law school. She earned a magna cum laude B.S. in Management with a finance concentration from Boston College\u2019s Carroll School of Management and received her Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law at Chapel Hill in 1995 [3].\n\nBefore joining the judiciary, she co\u2011founded the Raleigh firm Grafstein &\u202fWalczyk, P.L.L.C., where she represented small businesses, indigent criminal defendants, and juveniles in delinquency matters for more than a decade [5][7]. Her legal practice emphasized access to justice for marginalized populations.\n\nAppointed to the District Court by the governor in 2007, Walczyk has been repeatedly elected by voters, most recently in 2024, and has held several leadership positions. She served as Lead Family Court Judge from 2013 to 2021, during which she introduced remote hearings, created an overflow courtroom to reduce backlog, and developed instructional resources for self\u2011represented litigants [7]. She currently serves as Lead Judge in the General Civil Court, overseeing the mandatory arbitration program and handling small\u2011claims appeals, evictions, and contract disputes [7]. Four chief judges\u2014three Democrats and one Republican\u2014have nominated her for these leadership roles, underscoring bipartisan respect for her judicial temperament [5].\n\nWalczyk\u2019s professional affiliations include the National Association of Women Judges\u2019 Judicial Independence Committee, the North Carolina Bar Association\u2019s Women in the Profession Committee, and chairing the Judicial Division of the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys. She has taught paralegal courses at Meredith College and Wake Technical Community College and mentors law students through externships and community\u2011service projects.\n\nIn 2026 she is seeking a seat on the Court of Appeals, citing a \u201cpublic loss of confidence in the court system\u201d and a commitment to restore trust through impartial, non\u2011partisan decision\u2011making [5][8]. Her campaign emphasizes judicial independence, addressing racial inequities\u2014recognizing implicit bias and supporting resources for self\u2011represented litigants\u2014and bail\u2011system reform [7][8]. She has earned endorsements from former Chief Justice\u202fCheri\u202fBeasley, former Justice\u202fRobin\u202fHudson, the North Carolina Association of Educators, and numerous state legislators and judges [8][10].\n\nWalczyk resides in Raleigh, continues to serve as a district judge while campaigning statewide, and positions herself as the most experienced trial\u2011court judge in Wake County, offering a seasoned perspective to the appellate bench.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Christine Walczyk - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Christine_Walczyk)\n- [3] [Christine Marie Walczyk | The Election Hub](https://www.theelectionhub.org/mecklenburg-county/christine-marie-walczyk/2026-primary/north-carolina)\n- [5] [Home | Christine Walczyk](https://www.judgechristine.org)\n- [7] [Candidate Questionnaire: Christine Walczyk, NC District Court 10 C, Seat 2](https://indyweek.com/news/elections-news/candidate-questionnaire-christine-walczyk-nc-district-court-10-c-seat-2/)\n- [8] [In key NC Court of Appeals primary, Democrats compete to reverse six-year losing streak \u2022 NC Newsline](https://ncnewsline.com/2026/02/19/in-key-nc-court-of-appeals-primary-democrats-compete-to-reverse-six-year-losing-streak/)\n- [10] [NCAE Endorses Judge Christine Walczyk for North Carolina Court of Appeals | North Carolina Association of Educators](https://www.ncae.org/about-ncae/media-center/press-releases/ncae-endorses-judge-christine-walczyk-north-carolina-court-appeals)\n- [11] [The Political Beat Primary Candidate Guide: NC Court of Appeals Seat 3 \u2013 WSOC TV](https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/political-beat-primary-candidate-guide-nc-court-appeals-seat-3/NCCFPUF7SBFJZI2CHCTHUH5SQU/)","firstname":"Christine","lastname":"Walczyk","middlename":"M","suffix":null,"token":"017d35da7acab29b"},"token":"M3Zn0GFani"}],"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 03"}