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Candidate

Elizabeth Thornton Trosch

Democrat

District Court Judge, District 26 (Mecklenburg County)

Elizabeth Trosch has been a Mecklenburg County district court judge since 2009 and served as the county's chief district court judge from April 2020 until May 1, 2024, when Chief Justice Paul Newby replaced her in that administrative post; she remained a district judge234. She is running for the open Superior Court seat 26H being vacated by the retirement of Judge Louis Trosch Jr., her brother-in-law5. She is unopposed on the November 2026 ballot in this partisan race1.

  • District Court Judge, 26th Judicial District, since 2009; Chief District Court Judge, April 2020 to April 202423
  • B.A., Hollins College, 1998; J.D., Wake Forest University School of Law, 20022
  • Has served on the district court since 2009 and was reelected without opposition in 2012, 2016, 2020 and 20242. She was named chief district judge by the state's chief justice on February 28, 2020, taking the post on April 1, 2020, after Chief Judge Regan Miller retired2. Chief Justice Paul Newby replaced her as chief judge effective May 1, 2024, telling her he wanted a different direction in leadership; the chief judge post is appointed by the chief justice, not elected, and she kept her seat as a district judge34. For the 2026 Superior Court race both primaries were canceled and she is unopposed21.

Record

  • Replaced as Mecklenburg's chief district court judge by Chief Justice Paul Newby effective May 1, 2024, with Judge Roy Wiggins named to the administrative post; Newby told her he wanted a different direction in leadership and gave no other reason, and about two dozen judges signed a letter praising her work43.
  • Announced her candidacy for Superior Court seat 26H in October 2025, two days after Judge Louis Trosch Jr., her brother-in-law, announced his retirement from that seat5.

Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.

Sources (7)

Every claim on this page links to one of these
  1. Candidate_Listing_2026.csv, 2026 general election candidate list (Mecklenburg rows)North Carolina State Board of Elections
  2. Elizabeth TroschBallotpedia
  3. Fact check: Did NC Supreme Court chief justice remove a judge elected to the bench? (June 5, 2024)WFAE
  4. Mecklenburg chief district court judge to be replaced (April 23, 2024)WBTV
  5. Mecklenburg County judge announces candidacy to replace brother-in-law (October 23, 2025)WSOC-TV
  6. Disciplinary Decisions and Orders by the Supreme Court and the Judicial Standards CommissionNorth Carolina Judicial Branch, Judicial Standards Commission
  7. North Carolina Judicial Candidate Forums, 2026 (video forums with PBS North Carolina)North Carolina Bar Association