Elections are coming up, and some people aren’t even sure who won North Carolina primaries on May 17th. So for all soon to be voters use this as a get to know the candidates for the local 2022 elections.

Federal State Senators
Cheri Beasley
For the Democrats there is Cheri Beasley, who in 2019 became the first black woman on the North Carolina Supreme Court. She is running for Senate for the same reasons she became a Judge, she wants to pursue justice and fairness. To learn about the issues she wants to tackle go here: https://cheribeasley.com/issues/.

Ted Budd
Ted Budd is a self-described family man, small business man, and a “liberal-agenda crusher” man, running as a republican to be our next senator. Budd grew up in Davie County where he learned his conservative values that he would like to fight for as Senator. To learn more about the issues he plans to tackle you can visit: https://tedbudd.com/issues/.

Matthew Hoh
Representing North Carolina’s green party Matthew Hoh has joined the race. “I love this country. I love our people, and I see them suffering. We need real change now,” says Hoh. As a veteran who has been deployed three times and dropped out in 2009 to speak out against war. Some of his beliefs he wants to act on as a senator is “to declare our independence from the corrupt parties of war and Wall Street that serve the Oligarchs.” To learn more about Matthew Hoh’s views visit: https://www.matthewhohforsenate.org/.

Shannon Bray
Last but not least for this list, we have a former navy veteran, Shannon Bray as a member of the libertarian. Currently working for the Department of Defense in Apex NC, but believes he can help incorporate modern technology into new laws properly around cyberspace. To get to know Bray a bit more you can visit: https://www.shannonbray.us/.

House of Representatives
North Carolina holds thirteen spots out of four-hundred and thirty-five. They also serve as part of the checks in our governments Check and Balance system as a way to veto senate passed bills. To learn who you will see on the ballot for the House visit: https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_North_Carolina,_2022.

State Supreme Court
Seat Three:
For the Democrats Lucy N. Inman takes the stand. As a former judge on the Court of Appeals, Inman believes it’s time for her to move up and bring what she calls “respect and hard work” to NCs Supreme Court. To learn more on Lucy N. Inman you can visit this link: https://www.lucyinmanforjustice.com/about.

Next for seat Three representing our state’s republicans we have Richard Dietz. Since 2014 Dietz has served in the court of appeals, and is “committed to preserving the blessings of Liberty” if he gets seat Three. To learn more about what he’s fighting for check him out at https://www.judgedietz.com/.

Seat Five:
Running on the Democrats side is Sam J. Ervin IV. After already being an associate justice in the Supreme Court, Ervin is back at it again, ready to make a difference.
“My father taught me that to be a good judge, or a good lawyer, I must always keep in mind that the actions I take and the decisions I make have significant impact on the lives of real people,” Ervin says on his website, to learn more about Ervin you can visit: https://www.ervinforjustice.org/.

Going against Ervin is Veteran Trey Allen. Starting his career in law as a judge advocate for the Marine Corps. Allen believes that “judges must follow the Constitution as originally understood” and thinks that he will “bring a strong record of professional and personal achievements like his book Local Government Immunity Lawsuits in North Carolina.
To learn more about Trey Allen visit: https://www.treyallennc.com/meet-trey.

Intermediate Appeals Court
Seat Eight
The first seat up for grabs is seat eight, and Carolyn J. Thompson will be racing for it as a Democrat.
“I believe I can make a difference in the service of equal justice as required by our laws and constitution,” Thompson says on her website. She is a former district court judge, with twenty-five years of combined legal experience.
To learn more about Carolyn J. Thompson visit: https://carolynthompsonforjudge.com/about-carolyn/.

Dr. Julee Flood will be Carolyn J. Thompsons competition for seat Eight. Although born in Orlando Florida (do I shorten florida?) Flood has a long history with North Carolina, calling this state her “home” since 2003.
“Fairness is achieved through a judicial philosophy rooted in judicial restraint and consistency in the law,” says Flood on her website. To learn more about her and her philosophies check it out https://www.juleeflood.com/.

Seat Nine
For the next seat on North Carolina’s court of Appeals Brad Salmon, democrat, is ready to sit in. After founding Salmon Law Firm where he has represented many clients. (this man has nothing about him, not even on facebook so I am working to add more to this) To learn more about Brad Salmon visit: https://www.judgebradsalmon.com/contact.

Racing Brad Salmon we have republican Donna Stroud. Previously elected in 2006 and running for re-election, she wants to continue “her work enforcing the law as it is written, upholding the Constitutions of the United States and North Carolina, and ensuring our state courts enforce laws as they are written and every person in every case is treated fairly.”
To learn more about Donna Stroud visit: https://judgestroud.com/fair-and-experienced/.

Seat Ten
Gale M. Adams was raised in the tobacco fields of Warren County and after highschool went her way into law school. She is now a Navy veteran and believes she can be “courteous, patient, and attentive to all, whether they are plaintiffs, defendants, victims, or attorneys. When they leave my courtroom, I want them to feel like they were heard and that my decision was just and fair, whether they won or lost,” according to her website. To learn more about Gale M. Adams you can visit: https://judgegaleadams.com/.

John M. Tyson also would like to make his way into seat Ten, running as a member of the republican party. Tyson is also a professor at Elon University, teaching as an Adjunct Professor of Law. As a judge Tyson tries to “maintain a conservative judicial philosophy that protects individual freedoms, self-defense, private property, parental and rights of the unborn, and the separation of powers where the legislature makes policy,” and to learn more about him you can visit: https://www.judgejohntyson.com/.

Seat Eleven
For the last seat up for election this year, democrat Darren Jackson is ready to secure it. After working at Gay & Jackson Law firm he found himself appointed as a judge by NC Govnor Roy Cooper. Jackson is now looking to have a full eight year term. To learn more about Darren Jackson visit: https://www.judgedarrenjackson.com/meet-darren.

Running against Jackson we have republican Michael Stading, since 2006 he has been practicing a substantial amount of civil and criminal law. “North Carolina families deserve a judge who will follow the law, protect our freedoms, and uphold our Constitution,” Stading says. He wants to become one of the next appeals court judges to defend these values. To learn more about Micheal Stading visit: https://mecklenburg.nc.gop/michael_stading.

School Board
Running for school board, there are three different democrats.
Deanna Frazier Kaplan:
Kaplan is running for re-elect after her initial election in 2018. “As a former PTA President and mother of 5, I understand the importance of public education.” To learn more about Deanna Kaplan you can visit her facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DeannaKaplan4SchoolBoard.

Sabrina Coone-Godfrey:
The first word Godfrey would choose to describe herself wouldn’t be “politician,” it would be “mother.” Godfrey is a mother of two in the WSFC school district, and “spends countless hours inside schools and classroom.” As a future school board member she wants to focus on “making sure we are educating the whole child – to improve academics we must work to address the social and emotional needs of our students. Our students are more than just a test score,” as stated on her website. To learn more about Sabrina Coone-Godfrey visit: https://www.sabrina4boe.com/about-sabrina.

Richard Watts:
With 32 years of education experience, Watts is planning on making his way in to WSFC School Board. To learn more about Richard Watts you can visit his facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/people/Richard-Watts-for-WSFCS-School-Board/100075500838181/#_=_.

Running as a Republican we also have three notable candidates
Sarah Absher:
Some simple things Absher will describe herself as is “registered nurse, wife, mom, and follower of Christ.” After COVID Absher realized she needed to be more involved in the school her children are going to. She plans to “ensure critical race theory and critical gender theory are not in our classrooms. As an RN I have the knowledge and ability to push back when ‘public health’ is weaponized against our children, like it was during COVID.” To learn more about Sarah Absher visit: https://sarahabsherforboe.com/.

Allen Daniel:
A native to the Clemmons area, Daniel believes “government, at all levels, has only three responsibilities: security, transportation, and education. Forsyth Co has done an exceptional job with the first two. However, our schools rank well below average in NC” and being on school board he wants to try and change that. To learn more about Allen Daniel you can visit his facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DanielForSchoolBoard.

Michael Hardman:
Hardman is a father of three, and is “the original Back To The Basics candidate,” who is a licensed Engineer and “problem-solver.” Hardman has many plans for schools here and to see these plans you can visit: https://hardman4schools.com/.

Voting takes place November 8th. Know who you’re voting for.