(The Center Square) – Arguments about political bias fill the race for the North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 12, as Republican Tom Murry faces off against incumbent Democrat Carolyn Thompson.
Both candidates say their qualifications make them best suited for the position.
The race is one of three statewide for the Court of Appeals that North Carolina voters will be voting on this Election Day, which is just 48 days away.
The court, in three-judge panels, issue rulings on proceedings for errors of law or legal procedure, not the facts of the case. Each judge holds their position for eight years and, after the election became partisan again in 2018, Republicans now have an 11-4 majority.
Both the Republican and Democratic primaries were canceled for this race after Murry and Thompson went unchallenged.
Murry, though an incumbent, was appointed to the seat in September 2023 by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. In 2022, Thompson also ran for the Court of Appeals, losing to Republican Julee Flood by almost 5%. Now, she is trying again, but this time with the advantage of the incumbent tag.
Self-labeled a “common sense conservative,” Murry told The Center Square it is the job of the courts to maintain the trust of the public by making unbiased decisions.
“The judiciary is an independent and co-equal branch of government,” he said. “Other branches of government are responsible for policy-making and carrying out laws. The plain words of our Constitution should serve as the primary guide when interpreting laws. Public trust is undermined when judges make decisions based on their political views.”
Thompson said transparency is a priority for her.
“Transparency in the courtroom is very important to me,” she told The Center Square. “Judges matter and what they do should not be a secret. My commitment is to uphold precedence.”
Thompson is endorsed by Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic, Equality North Carolina PAC, an LGBTQ advocacy group, and several other abortion-rights groups.
Last Wednesday, Thompson attended a North Carolina Democratic Party virtual event called Taking Back the Courts 101. She was joined by incumbent state Supreme Court Judge Allison Riggs and two Democratic Court of Appeals candidates, all speaking on the importance of Democrats regaining majority of the courts in North Carolina.
In that meeting, candidates pushed back against Republican “extremism” on the courts, while Thompson argued against the idea that Democrats are activists.
“If you are going to call us activists, know that we are actively looking for justice,” Thompson said. “We are actively looking for ways to balance these scales and actively looking for ways to flip our course back to fair and just judges up and down the appellate court system.”
Thompson said Democrats are united in that message and in flipping the courts in North Carolina back to Democrats.
“We are toting the same message,” she said in the virtual meeting. “We are pushing the same agenda to flip our course and to make sure that folks know to elect us as a team.”
Murry is endorsed by the North Carolina Police Benevolent Association and says his vast experience makes him a good candidate for the Court of Appeals.
“Whether as an Army veteran, former legislator, pharmacist, or state prosecutor, I have earned a reputation as an effective advocate that achieves common sense results,” Murry said. “As a former legislator, I understand separation of powers and believe in judicial restraint. I know from firsthand experience how laws are made.
“As a state prosecutor, I understand how laws are executed in the courtroom as a partner to local law enforcement. Lastly, as a health care provider, I bring a unique skillset to the Court of Appeals which handles a wide variety of cases where knowledge about health care would be a tremendous asset including workers’ compensation, medical malpractice, and insurance disputes.”
Republicans must see the seat as vulnerable to flipping, as Murry ended the second financial quarter on June 30 with nearly $150,000 in the bank, compared to Thompson’s $28,000.
Thompson said that her years of experience as a judge provide a “drastic difference” between her and Murry.
“I have experience as a trial attorney, a trial judge and I am currently in the position on the North Carolina Court of Appeals,” Thompson said. “I bring 27 years of experience serving the state and my local community. I provide Day 1 readiness and earned the appointment by Gov. Cooper. My opponent touts that he’s a textualist, I have and believe in the oath that I have taken to uphold the law and constitution equally and without bias and based on the facts that come before me.”
Both candidates promise to bring more “justice” to the court.
“As an Army veteran that has deployed to the Middle East and a state prosecutor, my legal experience has prepared me for the Court of Appeals,” Murry said. “I have achieved results in improving access to justice by working on juvenile justice reforms and increasing funding for the Judicial Branch.”
Thompson also stood on her experience.
“Thirteen years as a trial attorney taught me that there’s power in the pen and true change comes from the bench,” she said. “As a family law attorney, access to justice was imperative to victims of domestic violence and without the authority of the court there wouldn’t have been justice and protection for my clients.”
