{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nSusan Marie Dotson-Smith is a District Court Judge for Judicial District 40, which serves Buncombe County, North Carolina. She was appointed to the court by Governor Bev Perdue on October 13, 2012, filling the vacancy created by the departure of Judge Rebecca B. Knight.\n\n## Background and education\nDotson-Smith earned her undergraduate degree from Duke University and her Juris Doctorate from Wake Forest University School of Law.\n\n## Career\nBefore her appointment to the bench, Dotson-Smith was in private practice in Asheville, North Carolina, for approximately twenty years. She also served as a primary hearing officer for the Buncombe County Clerk of Court. She is certified as a superior court mediator and as a mediator in matters before the clerk.\n\nDotson-Smith has served on the North Carolina Courts Commission, the North Carolina Bar Association's Law-Related Education Committee, the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys Board, and the North Carolina Women's Forum Board. She has also been active in Mock Trial and Moot Court programs.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Judge Susan Dotson-Smith Sworn In \u2013 Buncombe County Bar](https://buncombebar.com/judge-susan-dotson-smith-sworn-in/)\n- [2] [Susan Dotson-Smith \u2013 NC Judicial Branch](https://www.nccourts.gov/judicial-directory/susan-dotson-smith)\n","campaigns":[{"contest":"district_court_judge_dist_040_seat_04","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc District Court Judge District 40 Seat 04"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Susan","fullname":"Susan Marie Dotson-Smith","lastname":"Dotson-Smith","middlename":"Marie","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"district_court_judge_dist_040_seat_04","contest_title":"Nc District Court Judge District 40 Seat 04","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"district_court_judge","office_title":"District Court Judge","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"district_court_judge_dist_040_seat_04","contest_title":"Nc District Court Judge District 40 Seat 04","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"district_court_judge","office_title":"District Court Judge","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"DEM","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"district_court_judge","office_title":"District Court Judge","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Susan Marie Dotson-Smith serves as a District Court Judge for District 040, Seat 04, having been appointed by Gov. Perdue.","terms":[],"token":"ecf28dd6d04a5873"}