{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nMelinda H. Crouch is a Democratic candidate for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 6, Seat 3, serving New Hanover and Pender counties, on the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot [2]. Ballotpedia's most recent profile of Crouch (last updated after her 2016 campaign) describes her as a judge for the state's 5th Judicial District, the same New Hanover/Pender counties the 2026 filing lists as District 6 [1][2].\n\n## Background and education\nCrouch earned her bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Juris Doctor from Campbell University Law School [1].\n\n## Office history\nCrouch won re-election to the district court bench in 2014 with 53.1% of the vote, in a term that expired December 31, 2018; she ran unopposed for re-election in 2010 [1]. In 2016 she sought a seat on the North Carolina Superior Court, 2nd Division, District 5B, finishing third with 24.7% of the vote behind Kent Harrell and Connie Jordan [1].\n\nIn a July 2014 North Carolina Bar Association survey of practicing lawyers, Crouch was rated 3.94 on integrity and impartiality, 3.87 on legal ability, 4.06 on professionalism, 3.88 on communication, 3.86 on administrative skills, and 3.88 on overall performance, each out of 5 [1].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Melinda H. Crouch - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Melinda_H._Crouch)\n- [2] North Carolina State Board of Elections, 2026 Candidate Filing list (District Court Judge District 06 Seat 03), accessed 2026-07-20","campaigns":[{"contest":"district_court_judge_dist_006_seat_03","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc District Court Judge District 06 Seat 03"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Melinda","fullname":"Melinda Haynie Crouch","lastname":"Crouch","middlename":"Haynie","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"district_court_judge_dist_006_seat_03","contest_title":"Nc District Court Judge District 06 Seat 03","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_006_seat_03","contest_title":"Nc District Court Judge District 06 Seat 03","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":"Melinda H.\u202fCrouch is a Democratic district court judge from New Hanover and Pender counties who has sought judicial office in multiple elections.","terms":[],"token":"651b92b24cc59827"}