{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nDavid Alan Phillips is a Superior Court Judge for NC Judicial District 38 (Gaston County), where he has served since his appointment by Governor Roy Cooper in 2018. He is seeking re-election in 2026.\n\n## Background and education\n\nPhillips is a lifelong Gaston County resident who attended North Gaston High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Appalachian State University and a Juris Doctor from Mercer University School of Law in 1989. He was Board Certified as a North Carolina Criminal Law Specialist in 2001.\n\n## Career\n\nPhillips practiced criminal defense and civil law for 28 years through his private firm, The Phillips Law Firm, PLLC, in Gaston County. He earned the Reader's Choice Award for Best Attorney in Gaston County from the Gaston Gazette.\n\n## Family\n\nPhillips and his wife Paula have three children. His father, the Honorable James Ralph Phillips, served as a District Court judge in Gaston County.\n\n## Sources\n\n- [1] [David Phillips (North Carolina) \u2013 Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/David_Phillips_(North_Carolina))","campaigns":[{"contest":"superior_court_judge_dist_038_seat_01","county":"gaston","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc Superior Court Judge District 38 Seat 01"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"David","fullname":"David Alan Phillips","lastname":"Phillips","middlename":"Alan","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"superior_court_judge_dist_038_seat_01","contest_title":"Nc Superior Court Judge District 38 Seat 01","county":"gaston","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"superior_court_judge","office_title":"Superior Court Judge","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"superior_court_judge_dist_038_seat_01","contest_title":"Nc Superior Court Judge District 38 Seat 01","county":"gaston","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"superior_court_judge","office_title":"Superior Court Judge","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"REP","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"superior_court_judge","office_title":"Superior Court Judge","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"David Alan Phillips serves as a Superior Court Judge for District 038 Seat 01 in North Carolina.","terms":[],"token":"e0d60df1061bddcc"}