{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nDavid Lee Churchill has served as Guilford County Clerk of Superior Court since May 2025, when Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Stuart Albright appointed him to succeed Lisa Johnson-Tonkins, who was elevated to a Superior Court judgeship [1]. Churchill is the Democratic candidate for a full term in the office in 2026. He defeated fellow Democrat Cinnamon Hunter in the March 3, 2026 primary, 60.2% to 39.8% [2]; the Republican primary for the seat was canceled for lack of a candidate, leaving Churchill unopposed on the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot [2]. He filed for the race on December 1, 2025, the first day of the candidate filing period [3].\n\n## Background and education\n\nChurchill is originally from Lockport, New York. He holds a bachelor's degree in history from The College of Wooster and a law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law [1][4].\n\n## Career\n\nChurchill previously served as Guilford County Clerk of Superior Court for four terms, from 1998 to 2014, before losing the 2014 Democratic primary for the seat to then-Assistant District Attorney Lisa Johnson-Tonkins, 62% to 38% [1]. After leaving the clerk's office, Churchill worked as an assistant public defender and, most recently before his 2025 reappointment, as an assistant district attorney [1].\n\n## Office history\n\nChurchill was Guilford County Clerk of Superior Court from 1998 to 2014 (four terms), then lost the 2014 Democratic primary to Lisa Johnson-Tonkins [1]. He returned to the office by judicial appointment in April 2025, taking over when Johnson-Tonkins was sworn in as a Superior Court judge in May 2025 [1].\n\n## Family\n\nChurchill lives with his wife in Greensboro, per his campaign platform page [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [David Churchill Back In The Saddle As Guilford County Clerk Of Court](https://www.rhinotimes.com/news/david-churchill-back-in-the-saddle-as-guilford-county-clerk-of-court/) \u2014 Rhino Times of Greensboro, April 28, 2025, accessed 2026-07-21\n[2] [David Churchill - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/David_Churchill) (cited only for the certified 2026 primary vote totals and the canceled Republican primary; no primary source publishes county-level clerk-of-court primary returns) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-21\n[3] [Guilford County candidates file to run in 2026. Filing period closes Dec. 19](https://greensboro.com/news/local/government-politics/elections/article_bf4dc921-f242-42b1-ab15-ac9f59247df6.html) \u2014 Greensboro News & Record, accessed 2026-07-21\n[4] [David Churchill platform & website | Guilford Clerk of Superior Court, Democratic Primary](https://www.branch.vote/races/2026-north-carolina-primary-election-nc-state-clerk-of-superior-court-nc-county-guilford-d/candidates/david-churchill) (candidate's self-described platform page) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-21","campaigns":[{"contest":"clerk_of_superior_court","county":"guilford","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Guilford County Clerk Of Superior Court"},{"contest":"clerk_of_superior_court","county":"guilford","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Guilford County Clerk Of Superior Court"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"David","fullname":"David Lee Churchill","lastname":"Churchill","middlename":"Lee","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"clerk_of_superior_court","contest_title":"Guilford County Clerk Of Superior Court","county":"guilford","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":"guilford","office_key":"clerk_of_superior_court","office_title":"Clerk of Superior Court","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},{"contest":"clerk_of_superior_court","contest_title":"Guilford County Clerk Of Superior Court","county":"guilford","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"guilford","office_key":"clerk_of_superior_court","office_title":"Clerk of Superior Court","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":"guilford","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"clerk_of_superior_court","contest_title":"Guilford County Clerk Of Superior Court","county":"guilford","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":"guilford","office_key":"clerk_of_superior_court","office_title":"Clerk of Superior Court","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"DEM","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"clerk_of_superior_court","office_title":"Clerk of Superior Court","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"David Churchill is a Democratic candidate and current Guilford County Clerk of Superior Court in North Carolina, previously holding the role for 16 years before returning in 2025.","terms":[],"token":"c1204e79b35d3f2a"}