North Carolina Advocates for Justice PAC Endorses Nine Candidates in 2020 Statewide Appellate Judicial Elections

The North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ) Political Action Committee is pleased to announce its slate of endorsements for the state’s 2020 appellate judicial elections to be held Nov. 3.

The carefully considered endorsements are for three seats on the Supreme Court of North Carolina and five seats on the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Supreme Court, Seat 1: Cheri Beasley
Supreme Court, Seat 2: Lucy Inman
Supreme Court, Seat 4: Mark Davis
Court of Appeals, Seat 4: Patricia Shields
Court of Appeals, Seat 5: Lora Cubbage
Court of Appeals, Seat 6: Chris Dillon
Court of Appeals, Seat 7: Jeff Carpenter
Court of Appeals, Seat 13: Chris Brook and Jefferson Griffin

Before choosing the slate of endorsements, NCAJ first invited the candidates to be interviewed by a panel of NCAJ PAC trustees. NCAJ also submitted the candidates’ names to its members to allow additional feedback. NCAJ PAC trustees then reviewed the resumes and known work product of the candidates. Finally, the 25 trustees of the NCAJ PAC had the opportunity to meet and discuss the candidates prior to providing the slate of endorsements.

Judicial elections in North Carolina matter because they define a group of people who will have a significant impact on the everyday lives of the state’s citizens and the practical application of the laws governing the state.

Appellate judges determine what broadly-written state laws actually mean in specific situations, whether they are unconstitutional, and to whom they apply. Their decisions leave a long-lasting effect on our society because they serve as precedent in future legal cases for generations to come. And importantly, an unbiased judiciary is the check on the other branches of government and a cornerstone to a healthy democracy. It is therefore critical that North Carolinians elect jurists who are knowledgeable of the law and will use sound, impartial reasoning in rendering their decisions.

Yet, North Carolinians often lack reliable information on which to base their selection of appellate judicial candidates. With 2,500 lawyer members throughout North Carolina and a vision focused on protecting people, preventing injustice and promoting fairness, the NCAJ can be relied upon for nonpartisan, meticulously vetted endorsements through its PAC. Members of NCAJ are in a unique position to evaluate the quality and fairness of judges because as lawyers their job is to represent North Carolina’s citizens and businesses before those judges.

In the coming weeks, NCAJ PAC will be launching a website in partnership with communications strategy firm Relatable Communications Group and digital strategy firm New Media Campaigns to promote its slate of endorsements and educate voters as to the importance of voting in judicial elections. NCAJ will encourage its members, as well as all North Carolina voters, to refer to the website and share it with their networks.