ELECTION RESULTS: Republicans sweep judicial races, claim majority in state Supreme Court

It was a good night for Republicans in the judicial races for both Guilford and Forsyth counties; all six seats that were open were won by GOP candidates.

The NC Supreme Court is the state’s highest court with one chief justice and six associate justices who review cases from the NC Court of Appeals, NC Business Court and cases involving the death penalty.

The NC Court of Appeals is the state’s intermediate appellate court and it reviews cases first decided in District and Superior Courts. Currently 15 judges sit on rotating panels of three. All judges serve eight-year terms.

For the NC Supreme Court Associate Justice – Seat 3, Richard Dietz beat Lucy Inman by 5.2 percentage points, while for the NC Supreme Court Associate Justice – Seat 5 vacancy, challenger Trey Allen beat incumbent Democrat Sam Ervin by 4.8 percent.

In the NC Court of Appeals, Republicans Julee Tate Flood, Donna Stroud, John Tyson and Michael Stading all won election to Seats 8-11, with all candidates winning by at least 5 percent.

The sweep means that Republicans now have a 5-2 majority on the State Supreme Court. The seats carry eight-year terms which means that without unplanned retirements, Republicans will keep the upper hand for the next four years.According to reporting by WUNC, outside groups spent big money on the judicial races in North Carolina, with many ads focusing on crime and abortion.

Republicans picked up a supermajority in the state Senate but failed to achieve one in the state House, securing the power of Gov. Cooper’s veto, according to reporting by the News & Observer.