{"biography":"Aminah Thompson is the incumbent Durham County Clerk of Superior Court and is seeking re\u2011election as the Democratic candidate for the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 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\u2011service support to the District and Superior Courts\u202f[9][11].\n\nThompson was born in Greenville, South Carolina, and raised in Massachusetts and Kansas before moving to Durham in 1999 for college. She earned a bachelor\u2019s degree from Duke University and a Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law\u202f[10]. After law school she entered public service, spending more than a decade as a Durham magistrate judge where she handled civil, landlord\u2011tenant, traffic, and criminal matters, issued warrants and protective orders, and performed hundreds of marriages\u202f[10][12]. Her judicial experience gave her a front\u2011row view of how the court system impacts everyday lives.\n\nIn May\u202f2022 Thompson defeated incumbent Archie Smith\u202fIII and LiBria Stephens in the Democratic primary for Clerk of Superior Court, winning 65.3\u202f% of the vote, and was elected unopposed in the November\u202f2022 general election with 100\u202f% of the vote\u202f[1]. She was sworn in on December\u202f5,\u202f2022 for a four\u2011year term that runs through December\u202f7,\u202f2026\u202f[1]. In the March\u202f3,\u202f2026 Democratic primary she again prevailed, capturing 87.1\u202f% of the vote (49,401 votes) against A.\u202fBeverly Ellis\u2011Maclin\u202f[1]. The Republican primary was canceled, leaving her as the sole Democratic candidate on the November ballot\u202f[1].\n\nDuring her first term Thompson has overseen a historic modernization of Durham\u2019s court operations. She led the transition to the Enterprise Justice (eCourts) platform, which improved accuracy, transparency, and public access to court records\u202f[10][11]. She introduced plain\u2011language forms, checklists, and a new clerk website with a public email address and quarterly newsletter to make court processes more understandable for residents\u202f[9][11]. 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\u202f[11]. Thompson also expanded staff training, hired additional bilingual personnel, and advocated for a community\u2011based law library and resource center to further increase access\u202f[12].\n\nBeyond 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\u2019s Alliance\u202f[10][12]. She serves on the board of her church, Union Baptist, and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.\u202f[10].\n\nThompson\u2019s campaign platform emphasizes three priority areas: modernizing court workflows and technology while ensuring staff stability; making court forms and procedures plain\u2011language and accessible; and enhancing transparency and accountability through direct public communication and performance metrics\u202f[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.\n\nIf re\u2011elected, Thompson plans to build on the eCourts rollout, expand remote and night\u2011court options, and implement metrics that measure trial\u2011court performance on access, timeliness, and integrity\u202f[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\u2011election message.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Aminah Thompson - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Aminah_Thompson)\n- [4] [Aminah Thompson - Run For Something](https://directory.runforsomething.net/candidate/2329/thompson-aminah/)\n- [7] [Durham County Board of Elections on X: \"December 7, 2021 - Aminah Thompson filed for Durham County Clerk of Superior Court https://t.co/ZnzafOXJED\" / X](https://x.com/dcovotes/status/1468285394605195269)\n- [9] [Aminah Thompson for Clerk of Superior Court](https://thompson4justice.com/)\n- [10] [About Aminah - Aminah Thompson for Clerk of Superior Court](https://thompson4justice.com/about-aminah/)\n- [11] [Durham County Clerk of Superior Court: Aminah Thompson](https://indyweek.com/news/durham-county-clerk-of-superior-court-aminah-thompson-2026/)\n- [12] [Magistrate Judge Aminah Thompson to Run for Durham County Clerk of Superior Court](https://indyweek.com/news/durham/magistrate-judge-aminah-thompson-to-run-for-durham-clerk-of-superior-court/)","campaigns":[{"contest":"clerk_of_superior_court","county":"durham","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Durham County Clerk Of Superior Court"},{"contest":"clerk_of_superior_court","county":"durham","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Durham County Clerk Of Superior Court"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Aminah","fullname":"Aminah Malikah Thompson","lastname":"Thompson","middlename":"Malikah","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"clerk_of_superior_court","contest_title":"Durham County Clerk Of Superior Court","county":"durham","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"durham","office_key":"clerk_of_superior_court","office_title":"Clerk of Superior Court","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},{"contest":"clerk_of_superior_court","contest_title":"Durham County Clerk Of Superior Court","county":"durham","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"durham","office_key":"clerk_of_superior_court","office_title":"Clerk of Superior Court","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"durham","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"clerk_of_superior_court","contest_title":"Durham County Clerk Of Superior Court","county":"durham","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"durham","office_key":"clerk_of_superior_court","office_title":"Clerk of Superior Court","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"DEM","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"clerk_of_superior_court","office_title":"Clerk of Superior Court","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Incumbent Durham County Clerk of Superior Court Aminah Thompson seeks re\u2011election, highlighting court modernization, access, and fiscal stewardship.","terms":[],"token":"582c97c23a919f13"}