James Weldon Whalen

Current office and 2026 campaign

James Weldon Whalen (Democrat) ran in the 2026 Democratic primary for Seat 3 on the North Carolina Court of Appeals, competing against Christine Walczyk. Whalen lost the March 3, 2026 primary ³.

Background and education

Whalen grew up in Charlotte ¹. He earned his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Asheville in 2015, cum laude, where he served as student body president ². He earned his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2021, graduating with high honors, Order of the Coif, as a Chancellor's Scholar and Articles Editor of the North Carolina Law Review ².

Career

After law school, Whalen clerked for the Honorable Loretta C. Biggs of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, the first African American woman to serve as a lifetime-appointed federal judge in North Carolina ¹². He then served as an appellate attorney in the North Carolina Department of Justice's Office of the Solicitor General under Attorney General Josh Stein ². He is now an appellate attorney at Brooks Pierce LLP in Raleigh, where his firm has represented Governors Roy Cooper and Josh Stein ¹². He was part of the legal team that represented Justice Allison Riggs in the effort by Republicans to overturn her 2024 election victory ³.

Family

Whalen lives in Raleigh with his wife Anna, their son, dog Sherlock, and cat Clue ¹.

Sources