Lindsey Leigh Mckee

Lindsey Leigh McKee is a sitting judge of the North Carolina 5th Judicial District. She was first elected to the bench on November 4, 2014, narrowly defeating Kent Harrell by five votes and began her term on January 1, 2015; the term was set to expire on December 31, 2022 ¹.

McKee earned her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law ¹. While in law school she interned at David and Associates, PLLC, and after graduation began her legal career as a prosecutor in the district attorney’s office, where she also served in the New Hanover County Drug Treatment Court and handled misdemeanor prosecutions for the Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach police departments. In addition to her judicial duties, she works as an adjunct professor ¹.

Beyond the courtroom, McKee is active in a number of professional and community organizations. She is a member of the United States District Court Bar for the Eastern District, the North Carolina Bar, and the Pender County Bar Association, and has served on the executive committee of the 5th Judicial District Bar. Her leadership roles have included treasurer (2013) and board member (2012) of the same bar, as well as board positions with the Alternative Dispute Resolution Center (2013‑2015) and the 5th Judicial District Young Lawyers (president/vice‑president, 2011‑2013). She volunteers as a judge for teen courts in New Hanover and Pender counties and participates in youth scholarship and mock‑trial competitions. McKee is also a deacon at First Presbyterian Church of Wilmington and has been involved with the North Carolina Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year Scholarship Competition ¹.

In her 2014 campaign, McKee highlighted her prosecutorial experience, community involvement, and commitment to fairness and professionalism on the bench. A July 2014 survey by the North Carolina Bar Association rated her highly across criteria such as integrity, legal ability, professionalism, communication, and administrative skills, with an overall performance rating of 3.94 out of 5 ¹.

McKee’s judicial term that began in 2015 was slated to end at the close of 2022; any subsequent re‑election or candidacy for a different office in the 2026 North Carolina elections is not detailed in the available sources.

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