Aminah Malikah Thompson

Aminah Thompson is the incumbent Durham County Clerk of Superior Court and is seeking re‑election as the Democratic candidate for the November 3, 2026 general election. The Clerk of Superior Court is a constitutional office that combines four core functions: judge, administrator, record keeper, and comptroller. In this role the clerk presides over estates, guardianships, foreclosures and other special proceedings, manages the filing and preservation of court records, oversees the flow of public funds through the court system, and directs a staff that provides clerical and customer‑service support to the District and Superior Courts ⁹¹¹.

Thompson was born in Greenville, South Carolina, and raised in Massachusetts and Kansas before moving to Durham in 1999 for college. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law ¹⁰. After law school she entered public service, spending more than a decade as a Durham magistrate judge where she handled civil, landlord‑tenant, traffic, and criminal matters, issued warrants and protective orders, and performed hundreds of marriages ¹⁰¹². Her judicial experience gave her a front‑row view of how the court system impacts everyday lives.

In May 2022 Thompson defeated incumbent Archie Smith III and LiBria Stephens in the Democratic primary for Clerk of Superior Court, winning 65.3 % of the vote, and was elected unopposed in the November 2022 general election with 100 % of the vote ¹. She was sworn in on December 5, 2022 for a four‑year term that runs through December 7, 2026 ¹. In the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary she again prevailed, capturing 87.1 % of the vote (49,401 votes) against A. Beverly Ellis‑Maclin ¹. The Republican primary was canceled, leaving her as the sole Democratic candidate on the November ballot ¹.

During her first term Thompson has overseen a historic modernization of Durham’s court operations. She led the transition to the Enterprise Justice (eCourts) platform, which improved accuracy, transparency, and public access to court records ¹⁰¹¹. She introduced plain‑language forms, checklists, and a new clerk website with a public email address and quarterly newsletter to make court processes more understandable for residents ⁹¹¹. Under her leadership the office appointed a new Public Guardian and Public Administrator for the first time in more than four decades, strengthening oversight of vulnerable populations ¹¹. Thompson also expanded staff training, hired additional bilingual personnel, and advocated for a community‑based law library and resource center to further increase access ¹².

Beyond the office, Thompson is active in a range of professional and civic organizations, including the North Carolina Conference of Clerks of Superior Court, the Judicial Branch Language Access Stakeholders Committee, the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers, and local groups such as the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People and the Durham People’s Alliance ¹⁰¹². She serves on the board of her church, Union Baptist, and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. ¹⁰.

Thompson’s campaign platform emphasizes three priority areas: modernizing court workflows and technology while ensuring staff stability; making court forms and procedures plain‑language and accessible; and enhancing transparency and accountability through direct public communication and performance metrics ¹². She argues that her combination of judicial experience, administrative leadership, and community engagement uniquely qualifies her to continue serving Durham County as Clerk of Superior Court.

If re‑elected, Thompson plans to build on the eCourts rollout, expand remote and night‑court options, and implement metrics that measure trial‑court performance on access, timeliness, and integrity ¹². Her record of fiscal stewardship, including safeguarding millions of dollars in public funds, and her focus on equity and service, form the core of her re‑election message.

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