{"biography":"Kimberly Yvette\u202fBest is a Democratic candidate in the 2026 North Carolina elections, though the specific office she is seeking is not detailed in the available sources. Most recently, she served as a judge for Judicial District\u202f26B of the North Carolina 5th Superior Court Division, a position she held from her appointment on November\u202f23,\u202f2021 until the end of 2022, when she was defeated in the November\u202f8,\u202f2022 general election by Republican Matt Osman [1].\n\nBest earned a Bachelor of Arts in communications and Spanish from the University of Michigan in 1990 and a Juris Doctor from Indiana University School of Law\u2011Bloomington in 1994 [1]. She began her legal career in the North Carolina Magistrates Office (1998\u20112003) before entering private practice as an attorney at The Best Law Firm, PLLC (2005\u20112008) [1].\n\nIn 2009, Best was elected to the Mecklenburg County District Court, where she served for twelve years until her elevation to the Superior Court in 2021 [1]. During her tenure on the district bench, she presided over a broad docket of civil and criminal matters, gaining a reputation for thoroughness and community engagement.\n\nBest\u2019s 2022 campaign for a full term on the Superior Court was closely contested; she secured 49.9\u202f% of the vote (25,915 votes) against Osman\u2019s 50.1\u202f% (25,992 votes) in a race that drew over 51,000 voters [1]. Earlier, in the 2020 election, she won re\u2011election to the District Court with 66.2\u202f% of the vote (362,979 votes) over Republican Pat Finn [1]. She also ran unopposed for the same district seat in 2016, receiving 100\u202f% of the vote [1].\n\nBeyond the bench, Best\u2019s professional background includes experience in both public service and private practice, and she has been active in the Mecklenburg County legal community for more than two decades. While her current campaign details are limited, her record reflects extensive judicial experience and a long\u2011standing commitment to the North Carolina legal system.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Kimberly Best - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Kimberly_Best)\n- [2] [North Carolina elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_elections,_2026)\n- [3] [United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_North_Carolina,_2026)\n- [4] [Candidate Lists | NCSBE](https://www.ncsbe.gov/results-data/candidate-lists)\n- [6] [2026 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_North_Carolina)\n- [7] [Candidate Profiles \u2013 NC Voter Guide](https://ncvoterguide.org/profiles/)\n- [8] [Democrats Work For America - Kimberly Hardy](https://democratsworkforamerica.org/candidates/2026/NC/Hardy.html)\n- [10] [2026 Primary \u2013 Democratic Voter Guide (List View) - Wake County Democratic Party](https://www.wakedems.org/election-central-2026/democratic-voter-guide-2026-primary-listview/)\n- [11] [North Carolina 2026 Elections: Candidates for Governor, Senate & House | Politics1](https://politics1.com/nc.htm)","campaigns":[{"contest":"district_court_judge_dist_026_seat_06","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc District Court Judge District 26 Seat 06 (Unexpired)"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Kimberly","fullname":"Kimberly Yvette Best","lastname":"Best","middlename":"Yvette","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"district_court_judge_dist_026_seat_06","contest_title":"Nc District Court Judge District 26 Seat 06 (Unexpired)","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"district_court_judge","office_title":"District Court Judge","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"district_court_judge_dist_026_seat_06","contest_title":"Nc District Court Judge District 26 Seat 06 (Unexpired)","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"district_court_judge","office_title":"District Court Judge","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"DEM","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"district_court_judge","office_title":"District Court Judge","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Kimberly Y.\u202fBest is a former North Carolina Superior Court judge and Democratic candidate in the 2026 NC elections.","terms":[],"token":"301203d7477f6c90"}