Who is running for NC Court of Appeals Judge, Seat 1 in 2026?

Judge, North Carolina Court of Appeals

John Arrowood has served on the North Carolina Court of Appeals since Governor Roy Cooper appointed him in April 2017, and he won a full eight-year term in November 2018⁴³. He also sat on the court from 2007 to 2008 after an appointment by Governor Mike Easley, was briefly a special superior court judge, and spent more than 25 years in private practice in Charlotte⁴². He faces Republican Michael Byrne on November 3, 2026 in this partisan race¹³.

• Judge, North Carolina Court of Appeals, April 2017 to present, and August 2007 to December 2008⁴³
• Special superior court judge, March to August 2007; private practice in Charlotte for more than 25 years, including at James, McElroy and Diehl from 2010 to 2017; earlier law clerk, staff attorney and staff director at the Court of Appeals⁴³²
• Member of the North Carolina Banking Commission and the North Carolina Railroad board, according to his candidate statement²
• B.A. magna cum laude, Catawba College, 1979; J.D., University of North Carolina School of Law, 1982; admitted to the bar in 1982⁴²
• First appointed to the Court of Appeals by Governor Mike Easley in August 2007 to replace Judge Eric Levinson; lost the 2008 election for a full term to Robert N. Hunter Jr., 53.7 percent to 46.3 percent⁴. Appointed again by Governor Roy Cooper in April 2017 to replace Judge Douglas McCullough, and elected to a full term on November 6, 2018 over Andrew Heath, 50.8 percent to 49.2 percent⁴³. The 2026 Democratic primary was canceled; he is seeking a second full term³¹.

Administrative Law Judge, North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings

Michael Byrne has been an administrative law judge at the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings since June 2020, and he says he has issued more than 400 decisions there⁴². Before that he was a Raleigh area attorney in administrative and appellate law who often represented law enforcement officers and public employees⁴². He won the March 2026 Republican primary over Superior Court Judge Matt Smith and faces Democratic incumbent John Arrowood on November 3, 2026 in this partisan race³¹.

• Administrative law judge, North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings, sworn in June 2020; he says he has issued more than 400 decisions⁴²
• Attorney in administrative and appellate law, admitted in 1996; represented law enforcement and public employees in more than 270 cases before the Office of Administrative Hearings and handled more than 20 appeals to the Court of Appeals⁴²
• B.A. in English, North Carolina State University; J.D., Campbell University School of Law, where he edited the Campbell Law Observer⁴³
• Has not served on a trial or appellate court bench; he was sworn in as an administrative law judge at the Office of Administrative Hearings in June 2020⁴. He won the March 3, 2026 Republican primary over Matt Smith, 51.5 percent to 48.5 percent³.