On every Durham ballot
SheriffClarence F. Birkhead (D)
Clarence F. Birkhead
Clarence F. Birkhead has been Durham County's sheriff since December 2018 and is seeking a third term, per the sheriff's office official biography. He has more than 40 years in law enforcement, including service as Duke University police chief and Hillsborough police chief.
Clerk of Superior CourtAminah Thompson (D)
Aminah Thompson
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- eCourts modernization and transparency
- Public guardian and public administrator protections
- Plain-language access to justice
About Aminah Thompson
Thompson currently serves as Clerk of Superior Court in Durham County after previously serving as a magistrate judge, per the campaign site. Thompson has implemented court modernization initiatives including eCourts technology and developed plain-language court forms and resources, 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 AttorneySatana Deberry (D)
Satana Deberry
Satana Deberry has been Durham County's district attorney since January 2019, per the Conference of District Attorneys' official district page. She previously worked as a defense attorney, as general counsel to the NC Department of Health and Human Services, and as executive director of the NC Housing Coalition, per Indy Week and WRAL. She holds a Princeton BA and Duke JD and MBA. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 16, Seat 1Dave Hall (D)
Dave Hall
Dave Hall is a sitting District Court Judge for District 16, Seat 1, in Durham County, seeking re-election in the 2026 general election, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch.
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 16, Seat 2Doretta L. Walker (D)
Doretta L. Walker
Doretta L. Walker serves as a District Court judge in Durham County, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch directory. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 16, Seat 3Kevin E. Jones (D)
Kevin E. Jones
Kevin E. Jones currently serves as a Durham County District Court Judge, first elected in 2018 and now serving his second term, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch directory. Jones is a Vanderbilt University graduate who came to North Carolina through Teach for America in 1997 before earning his law degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law, working as an Assistant Public Defender and later opening his own law office. His prior campaign domain no longer resolves, so it is not linked. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 16, Seat 4Dorothy Hairston Mitchell (D)
Dorothy Hairston Mitchell
Dorothy Hairston Mitchell is a District Court Judge for District 16, Seat 4, in Durham County, appointed by Governor Roy Cooper in December 2021, filling the seat formerly held by Judge Brian Wilks. She earned her B.A. and J.D. from North Carolina Central University and serves as a Clinical Associate Professor at the North Carolina Central University School of Law and Legal Director at the Center for Child & Family Health, having previously worked as an Assistant Public Defender in Durham County, per the North Carolina Governor's office. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 16, Seat 5Christy A. Hamilton Malott (D)
Christy A. Hamilton Malott
Christy A. Hamilton Malott works as a Guardian ad Litem Attorney Advocate with the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch directory, and is a candidate for Durham District Court Judge. Malott earned degrees from Guilford College, Duke University and North Carolina Central School of Law and has twenty years of legal experience, including service on the Durham County Bar Association board, per her campaign site.
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 16, Seat 6Amanda L. Maris (D)
Amanda L. Maris
Amanda L. Maris is a Durham County District Court Judge, first appointed by Governor Roy Cooper in July 2017 and retained by voters in 2018 and 2022, per her campaign site. Maris has focused her work on issues affecting youth and families in the court system and is seeking re-election in 2026.
Full candidate profiles, priorities and campaign sites are on the Durham 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
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.
