{"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/)","campaigns":[{"contest":"court_of_appeals_seat_03","county":"alamance","county_count":100,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"nc","title":"Nc Court Of Appeals Judge Seat 03"},{"contest":"court_of_appeals_seat_03","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc Court Of Appeals Judge Seat 03"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Christine","fullname":"Christine M Walczyk","lastname":"Walczyk","middlename":"M","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"court_of_appeals_seat_03","contest_title":"Nc Court Of Appeals Judge Seat 03","county":"alamance","county_count":100,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"court_of_appeals","office_title":"Court of Appeals Judge","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"nc"},{"contest":"court_of_appeals_seat_03","contest_title":"Nc Court Of Appeals Judge Seat 03","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"court_of_appeals","office_title":"Court of Appeals Judge","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"court_of_appeals_seat_03","contest_title":"Nc Court Of Appeals Judge Seat 03","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"court_of_appeals","office_title":"Court of Appeals Judge","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"DEM","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"court_of_appeals","office_title":"Court of Appeals Judge","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Democratic District Court Judge Christine Walczyk is running for NC Court of Appeals Seat\u202f3 in 2026, highlighting her extensive trial experience and focus on judicial independence.","terms":[],"token":"017d35da7acab29b"}