Candidate Filing Day 1 Takeaways

What you need to know from the first day of candidate filing in North Carolina.

I write to you following a frenetic day of candidate filing at the State Fairgrounds (the first one is usually the busiest). Congressional, judicial, and district attorney hopefuls across the state flocked to Raleigh to get their names on the ballot.

I spoke with several first-time and returning candidates about their vision and what you can expect from them if elected.

Let’s begin with the judicial side of the things…

Order in the Court

Democratic Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls submits reelection candidacy paperwork at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh on Monday, December 1, 2025.

Democratic Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls was among the first to submit paperwork for her reelection bid. She doesn’t have any primary challengers and is expected to face Republican state Rep. Sarah Stevens of Surry County in the general election.

In an interview, Earls expressed concern with Stevens’ legislative background.

“The voters will have a real choice if Sarah Stevens is my opponent,” Earls said. “She has voted to take away so many of the rights that I think are fundamental.”

Earls cited Stevens’ support of abortion restrictions and changes that she sees as reducing North Carolinians’ ability to vote.

Stevens accused Earls of judicial overreach.

“Anita Earls is a liberal judicial activist who wants our courts, not our duly elected legislature to write the laws,” Stevens said in a statement. “I welcome the opportunity to expose her radical leftist agenda to all North Carolina voters.”