{"biography":"Elizabeth Thornton Trosch is a Democratic judge currently serving on the North Carolina District Court, District 26, Seat 11, a position she has held since 2009 with a term that runs through December\u202f31,\u202f2028. She is on the ballot for the North Carolina 5th Superior Court Division, Judicial District\u202f26H, in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election\u202f[1][2].\n\nTrosch earned a B.A. in philosophy and social psychology from Hollins College in 1998 and a J.D. from Wake\u202fForest University School of Law in 2002\u202f[1][2]. After law school she entered private practice before being appointed to the District Court bench in 2009. In February\u202f2020 she was appointed Chief Judge for Judicial District\u202f26, officially assuming the role on April\u202f1,\u202f2020 following the retirement of Chief Judge Regan A.\u202fMiller\u202f[1][2]. She served as chief until April\u202f2024, when the North Carolina Supreme Court removed her from that leadership position\u202f[1][2][8][9].\n\nDuring her tenure on the district bench, Trosch has been re\u2011elected without opposition in 2020 and 2024, receiving 100\u202f% of the vote in each contest\u202f[1]. She has overseen a Wellness Court that serves offenders with mental illness and has been involved in launching e\u2011Courts and other case\u2011management innovations aimed at reducing backlogs, especially during the COVID\u201119 pandemic\u202f[8][9][10]. In interviews she has highlighted the need for better resources to obtain complete criminal\u2011history information, improve pre\u2011trial risk assessments, and address housing, mental\u2011health, and substance\u2011abuse issues that affect community safety\u202f[8][9].\n\nIn 2025 Trosch announced her candidacy for the open Superior Court seat (26H) that will be vacated by her brother\u2011in\u2011law, Judge Louis\u202fTrosch\u202fJr., who is not seeking re\u2011election\u202f[9][10][12]. Her campaign emphasizes leveraging her nearly two decades of judicial experience to continue addressing court delays, expanding mental\u2011health\u2011focused programs, and improving the efficiency and equity of the state\u2019s trial courts\u202f[8][9][10]. The Democratic primary for the seat was cancelled, moving her directly to the November general election\u202f[1][2].\n\nIf elected, Trosch would transition from the district court to the Superior Court, where she would handle felony trials, appeals from district courts, and other higher\u2011level matters, fulfilling the duties of a Superior Court judge as defined by North Carolina law. Her record shows a focus on modernizing court operations, supporting vulnerable populations, and advocating for sufficient funding and data to make informed judicial decisions.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Elizabeth Trosch - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Elizabeth_Trosch)\n- [2] [Elizabeth T. Trosch - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Elizabeth_T._Trosch)\n- [3] [Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Mecklenburg_County,_North_Carolina,_elections,_2026)\n- [4] [Candidate Lists | NCSBE](https://www.ncsbe.gov/results-data/candidate-lists)\n- [5] [2026 United States Senate election in North Carolina - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_Senate_election_in_North_Carolina)\n- [8] [Mecklenburg County Judge details challenges within the court system - WCCB Charlotte](https://www.wccbcharlotte.com/2025/10/28/mecklenburg-county-judge-details-challenges-within-the-court-system/)\n- [9] [Former Mecklenburg County Chief District Court Judge announces candidacy for Superior Court seat | wcnc.com](https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/elizabeth-trosch-mecklenburg-county-superior-court-election-10-24-2025/275-db2cf881-7a0f-4bb8-84ef-e88fe2aa6aac)\n- [10] [Mecklenburg County judge announces candidacy to replace brother-in-law](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/mecklenburg-county-judge-announces-candidacy-201721605.html)\n- [11] [\u2018Heartbroken\u2019: Outgoing chief district court judge talks future in candid interview - WSOC TV](https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/heartbroken-outgoing-chief-district-court-judge-talks-future-candid-interview/KHVJGNGGWZAXJMUALT6XYYJ3VI/)\n- [12] [Mecklenburg County judge announces candidacy to replace brother-in-law \u2013 WSOC TV](https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/mecklenburg-county-judge-announces-candidacy-replace-brother-in-law/CK33M3EBXFCLVGJBGQAHAJPZCQ/)","campaigns":[{"contest":"superior_court_judge_dist_26H_seat_01","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc Superior Court Judge District 26H Seat 01"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Elizabeth","fullname":"Elizabeth Thornton Trosch","lastname":"Trosch","middlename":"Thornton","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"superior_court_judge_dist_26H_seat_01","contest_title":"Nc Superior Court Judge District 26H Seat 01","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"superior_court_judge","office_title":"Superior Court Judge","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"superior_court_judge_dist_26H_seat_01","contest_title":"Nc Superior Court Judge District 26H Seat 01","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"superior_court_judge","office_title":"Superior Court Judge","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"DEM","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"superior_court_judge","office_title":"Superior Court Judge","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Democratic District Court Judge Elizabeth Trosch is running for a Superior Court seat (26H) in the 2026 North Carolina election.","terms":[],"token":"89408e2cd70c2438"}