Gregory Ralph Hayes

Current office and 2026 campaign

Gregory R. Hayes is a Republican candidate for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 36, Seat 5, covering Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba counties ¹. He is not the incumbent in this race; per his own Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey response, he currently serves as an Emergency Superior Court Judge appointed by Governor Roy Cooper ¹. He ran in the March 3, 2026 Republican primary against fellow Republican Amber Eades Crouch ¹.

Background and education

Hayes is a graduate of Wake Forest University and Wake Forest University School of Law (J.D. 1983), per his Ballotpedia survey response ¹.

Career

Per his Ballotpedia survey response, Hayes served as an assistant district attorney in Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba counties from 1983 to 1988, then practiced privately with the firm Vaught and Hayes from 1988 to 1994 ¹. He served as a District Court judge in Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba counties from 1994 to 2014, then as a Resident Superior Court judge in Catawba County from 2014 to 2024, presiding over civil and criminal trials mostly in Charlotte and western North Carolina ¹. During his Superior Court tenure, local coverage described his courtroom style, including wearing bow ties and sharing anecdotes with the public ⁶. Following his retirement from the Superior Court, the governor appointed Sherri Elliott to fill the seat, and a portrait honoring Hayes's service was unveiled at the Catawba County Justice Center ⁴⁵⁷. Hayes has also taught Business Law at Lenoir-Rhyne University and, per his survey response, currently serves as a certified Superior Court mediator ¹.

Family

Hayes has been married to Kimberly T. Hayes since September 7, 1991; they have two adult children, per his Ballotpedia survey response ¹.

Sources