Thai Vang

Thai Vang is a Republican incumbent serving as a judge on the 20A Judicial District Court of North Carolina, which covers Montgomery and Stanly counties, and is seeking re‑election in the November 2026 judicial race. He was first elected to the bench in 2018 and won a second term in 2022, demonstrating a decade of experience presiding over district‑court matters. Vang was born in Thailand and is of Hmong descent; his family arrived in the United States as political refugees in 1983. He earned a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University and a J.D. from North Carolina Central University School of Law ⁹.

Before joining the judiciary, Vang practiced law in Spartanburg, South Carolina (2005‑2008) and then served for more than ten years as chief assistant district attorney in the Stanly County District Attorney’s Office, where he handled a broad range of criminal prosecutions ⁹. In addition to his legal career, he is a certified mediator with the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission, maintaining active mediator certification for court‑based mediation programs such as Mediated Settlement Conferences and Family Financial Settlement Conferences ². He also manages his family’s chicken farm outside Troy, North Carolina.

As a district‑court judge, Vang’s duties include overseeing civil and criminal cases, conducting bench and jury trials, and issuing rulings on matters ranging from family law to felony offenses. His re‑election campaign emphasizes continued service to the community, leveraging his prosecutorial background, judicial experience, and mediation expertise to promote fair and efficient resolution of disputes.

Vang is registered as a Republican, aligning with the party’s platform on law‑and‑order and judicial accountability, though judicial races in North Carolina are officially nonpartisan on the ballot. He resides in the district he serves and remains active in local civic affairs.

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