Tia Hudgins Taylor

Current office and 2026 campaign

Tia Hudgins Taylor currently serves as a District Court Judge for Judicial District 8 in North Carolina, which encompasses Nash, Edgecombe, and Wilson counties ⁶. She was appointed to fill the seat of Judge William Solomon by Governor Josh Stein in March 2025, a selection that proceeded without following the recommendation of the local bar ⁶. Taylor was subsequently sworn into office, marking her entry onto the bench for District 8 ⁴.

Taylor is running for re-election to District Court Judge for District 008 Seat 03 in the upcoming 2026 election. As a judge appointed by a Democratic governor and seeking retention or re-election in a state where judicial races are often nonpartisan or influenced by party affiliation, her campaign operates within the context of her current judicial tenure. The outcome of this 2026 race remains unknown as the election has not yet occurred.

Background and education

Tia Hudgins Taylor is a graduate of Queens University of Charlotte, where she earned her degree in 2015 ³⁵. She subsequently attended Elon University for her legal education, graduating from its law school ⁵.

Specific details regarding her birthplace, year of birth, upbringing, or religious affiliation are not provided in the available source materials.

Career

Tia Hudgins Taylor practiced law in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, as an attorney at Lassiter & Sperati, PLLC ¹³. Her legal practice areas included real estate, estate planning and probate, business law, civil litigation, collections, and criminal defense ¹³¹⁵. Prior to her judicial appointment, she served as an assistant attorney in criminal law for the North Carolina 8th District Court ⁹¹⁰.

Governor Josh Stein appointed Taylor to fill a vacancy in the District Court for Judicial District 8, which encompasses Edgecombe, Nash, and Wilson counties, on March 31, 2025 ¹²⁶. The appointment followed the retirement of Judge William Solomon in September 2024 ⁹¹⁰¹¹. Taylor was sworn in as a judge later in the spring of 2025 ⁴¹⁴. She is an alumna of Queens University of Charlotte, graduating in 2015, and Elon University School of Law, graduating in 2018 ³⁵¹²¹⁴.

Office history

In March 2025, Governor Josh Stein appointed Tia Hudgins Taylor to the District Court bench for Judicial District 8, which encompasses Nash, Edgecombe, and Wilson counties ¹²⁶. She was appointed to fill the seat of Judge William Solomon, who filed to run for another office ⁶. Taylor’s appointment followed a selection process in which Governor Stein did not follow the recommendation of the local bar ⁶.

Taylor was sworn in as District Court Judge for the 8th Judicial District later in 2025 ⁴⁷. She currently serves as an elected or appointed judge in this role, with her term continuing through the current election cycle ⁸.

Sources