On every Black Mountain ballot
SheriffQuentin Miller (D) · Gary Parris (R)
Quentin Miller
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- 21st century policing
- Expanding the jail's medication-assisted treatment program
- Deputy pay tied to training
About Quentin Miller
Quentin Miller has been Buncombe County's sheriff since December 2018, the county's first African-American sheriff, and is seeking a third term, per the sheriff's office site. He served 11 years as a U.S. Army military police officer and was an original member of the Asheville Police Department's community policing unit.
Gary Parris
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Rebuilding staffing and retention
- A fully staffed jail
- Countywide patrol coverage and a citizens academy
About Gary Parris
Gary Parris is a retired Navy senior chief with 22 years in cryptology and naval intelligence, a former Buncombe County deputy sheriff, and a criminal justice educator with a master's in strategic intelligence and an MPA, per his campaign site and Mountain Xpress.
Clerk of Superior CourtJean Marie Christy (D)
Jean Marie Christy
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Ensuring fairness and access to justice for every resident who comes before the court
- Providing respectful, responsive service in the clerk's office
- Efficient administration of court records and family estate matters
About Jean Marie Christy
Christy, a former Assistant Public Defender in Asheville and Lumberton, represented low-income children and adults in juvenile and misdemeanor cases, per the campaign site. She holds a Juris Doctor from Washington and Lee University School of Law, per the campaign site. Her site emphasizes fair and respectful service in managing court records and estate administration, per the campaign site.
By address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Find your districts by addressDistrict AttorneyMartin Moore (D)
Martin Moore
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Prosecuting domestic violence, homicides, and gun violence
- Treatment courts and mental health court diversion
- Data transparency in charging and sentencing
About Martin Moore
Martin Moore is an attorney with his own mediation and appellate practice who began his career as an Asheville public defender, and is a sitting Buncombe County commissioner for District 2, per WLOS and the county's official roster. He holds degrees from UNC and UNC Law.
North Carolina Superior Court Judge, District 40, Seat 2Alan Thornburg (D)
Alan Thornburg
Alan Thornburg is the Senior Resident Superior Court Judge for Buncombe County, appointed to the bench by Governor Mike Easley in 2009, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch. He received a bachelor's degree in history from Davidson College in 1989 and a J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1996, and worked as a private practice attorney in Asheville before joining the bench, per the Buncombe County Bar. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 1Ward D. Scott (D)
Ward D. Scott
Ward D. Scott serves as Chief District Court Judge in Buncombe County, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch directory. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 2Julie M. Kepple (D)
Julie M. Kepple
Julie M. Kepple currently serves as a District Court Judge for Buncombe County, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch directory. Kepple and a group of stakeholders created ASPIRE court in 2014, a treatment court program recognized for its high success rate among participants, per the Buncombe County Bar. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 3Ben Scales (D)
Ben Scales
Ben Scales is a candidate for District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 3, in Buncombe County, per his campaign site. He has more than 35 years of trial and appellate experience in state and federal courts, has practiced in Buncombe County District Court since 2006, and served as a law clerk to two federal judges. He earned a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1986 and a Juris Doctor from the Cumberland School of Law in 1991, and has been inducted into the North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society every year since 2014, per the same source.
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 4Susan (Smitty) Dotson-Smith (D)
Susan (Smitty) Dotson-Smith
Susan (Smitty) Dotson-Smith has served as a District Court judge in Buncombe County since 2012, per the Buncombe County Bar. Dotson-Smith received her J.D. from Wake Forest School of Law and was in private practice in Asheville for about twenty years before becoming a judge, per the same source. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 40, Seat 5Ed Clontz (D)
Ed Clontz
Ed Clontz currently serves as a District Court Judge for Buncombe County, appointed to the bench by Governor Bev Perdue in 2011, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch directory. Before his appointment, Clontz served as chief assistant clerk of Superior Court in Buncombe County and previously as a county magistrate, per the Buncombe County Bar. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Full candidate profiles, priorities and campaign sites are on the Buncombe County page.
Statewide races
U.S. SenateRoy Cooper (D) · Michael Whatley (R) · Shannon W. Bray (Libertarian) · Michael Dublin (Green)
Roy Cooper
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Lower the cost of food and groceries
- Make health care affordable
- Lower energy and utility costs
About Roy Cooper
Roy Cooper is a former North Carolina governor and attorney general, per the campaign site. He was born and raised in Nash County, earned undergraduate and law degrees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and practiced law in Rocky Mount, per the campaign site. The campaign site says he served four consecutive terms as attorney general and, as governor, reached a Medicaid expansion deal covering about 650,000 people.
Michael Whatley
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Enact the Trump agenda
- Make North Carolina safe again
- Fight illegal immigration
About Michael Whatley
Michael Whatley was raised in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, and holds degrees from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Wake Forest University and the University of Notre Dame, per the campaign site. He began his public service as a federal law clerk in Charlotte and later served as Sen. Elizabeth Dole's chief of staff, per the campaign site. He served as chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party and, at President Trump's request, as chairman of the Republican National Committee, per the campaign site.
Shannon W. Bray
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Economy and taxes: lower costs, simpler taxes
- Monetary policy and inflation
- Jobs, innovation and technology
About Shannon W. Bray
Shannon W. Bray is a Navy veteran and cybersecurity professional, per the campaign site. He says he is running for the U.S. Senate because North Carolina deserves leadership that understands modern threats without sacrificing fundamental freedoms, per the campaign site.
Michael Dublin
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Democracy: get big money out of politics
- Environmental justice: a Green New Deal for North Carolina
- Social and racial equity
About Michael Dublin
Michael Dublin is a native North Carolinian, a public school educator who recently retired from teaching, and a lifelong community activist, per the campaign site. The campaign site says he has led a prison ministry for more than two decades. He filed as the North Carolina Green Party's U.S. Senate candidate on June 15, 2026, per the state Green Party.
Supreme Court Associate Justice, Seat 01Anita Earls (D) · Sarah Stevens (R)
Anita Earls
Top priorities
From other published sources
- Upholding the state constitution, per NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide
- Protecting access to healthcare, per NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide
- Defending the right to a sound basic public education and voting rights, per NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide
About Anita Earls
Earls is an attorney who currently serves as an Associate Justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court, per the campaign site. Her campaign focuses on protecting constitutional rights for North Carolinians, per the campaign site.
Sarah Stevens
Sarah Stevens is an attorney with more than 30 years in private practice and president of the Surry County Bar Association, per her campaign site. She has served as Republican Leader and Speaker Pro Tempore of the North Carolina House, chairing the House Elections Law and Judiciary Committees, and holds a law degree from Campbell University School of Law, per her campaign site.
Court of Appeals Judge, Seat 01John S. Arrowood (D) · Michael C. Byrne (R)
John S. Arrowood
John S. Arrowood is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Michael C. Byrne
Michael C. Byrne is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Court of Appeals Judge, Seat 02Tobias (Toby) Hampson (D) · George Cooper Bell (R)
Tobias (Toby) Hampson
Top priorities
From other published sources
- Keeping judges with Court of Appeals experience on the bench, per NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide
- Defending the rule of law, per NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide
About Tobias (Toby) Hampson
Tobias (Toby) Hampson is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
George Cooper Bell
George Cooper Bell is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Court of Appeals Judge, Seat 03Christine Marie Walczyk (D) · Craig Collins (R)
Christine Marie Walczyk
Top priorities
From other published sources
- Protecting individual liberties and equal access to justice, per NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide
- Maintaining an independent judiciary, per NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide
About Christine Marie Walczyk
Christine Marie Walczyk is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Craig Collins
Craig Collins is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
North Carolina voters also decide 3 statewide ballot measures.
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
City boundaries and ZIP codes from the U.S. Census Bureau (2024 Gazetteer, 2020 ZCTA relationships). Candidate fields follow official election office filings; confirm with the North Carolina election office before voting.


