Candidates Running in the November 2022 Midterm General Election
Candidates Running in the November 2022 Midterm General Election
U.S. Senate
Cheri Beasley
Candidate, U.S. Senate
My husband, Curt, and I raised our sons in a home steeped in faith and the belief in hard work. Those values led me to serve as a public defender, judge, and chief justice of the N.C. Supreme Court, where I worked to keep communities safe, uphold the law, and protect our rights. In the U.S. Senate, I will fight for North Carolina — to lower costs, expand access to health care, provide good-paying jobs, and strengthen our schools. cheribeasley.com
U.S. House of Representatives
Valerie P. Foushee
Candidate, U.S. House District 4
As a school board member, a county commissioner, a state representative, and state senator, I have worked to build new schools and senior centers, close the achievement gap, and address environmental racism. I have fought relentlessly for voting rights, women’s reproductive rights, clean energy, teacher pay raises, increased per-pupil spending, and so much more. I now want to bring my experience, passion, faith, and commitment to serving my fellow North Carolinians in Washington. valeriefoushee.com
N.C. Senate
Graig Meyer
Candidate, N.C. Senate District 23
Representative Graig Meyer has served in the N.C. House of Representatives since 2013. As a trained social worker, Meyer listens to diverse voices, unites around common interests, and leads forward to real change. In the N.C. Senate, Meyer will continue to fight for affordable health care, equitable public schools, access to good jobs, and a clean and healthy environment. He will relentlessly pursue reproductive freedom, ensure free and fair elections, and protect LGBTQ rights. graigmeyer.com
N.C. House of Representatives
Renée Price
Candidate, N.C. House District 50
Currently serving as chair of the Orange BOCC and in my tenth year as commissioner, I am now a candidate for N.C. House, District 50. I have spent a lifetime advocating for humanity and justice and will continue demanding and fighting for our freedoms, rights, and democracy. Among my priorities are basic education, criminal justice reform, voting rights, right to representation, health care, housing, climate justice, broadband, and economic development. My tagline, “We the people,” indicates my respect for community. reneeprice4nc.com
Allen Buansi
Candidate, N.C. House District 56
I am a civil rights lawyer and former Chapel Hill Town Council member, where I spearheaded progressive policies such as the first-ever Town Criminal Justice Debt Fund. I grew up here, and I’m a husband and a proud, working parent of three children. I’ll fight for well-funded public education, climate justice, and affordable health care. I will not rest until we realize our vision of an affordable, accessible, and inclusive North Carolina for everyone. allenbuansi.com
N.C. Supreme Court
Lucy Inman
Candidate, N.C. Supreme Court
Judge Lucy Inman has served in courtrooms across North Carolina for more than a decade, first in the Superior Court and now on the Court of Appeals. Her record shows that she always follows the law and treats every person in court equally, fairly, and with respect. Judge Lucy Inman’s experience makes her uniquely qualified to advance the cause of justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court. lucyinmanforjustice.com
Sam J. Ervin IV
Candidate, N.C. Supreme Court
Justice Sam Ervin was elected to the N.C. Court of Appeals in 2008, where he served until 2014, when he was elected to the N.C. Supreme Court. Since joining the Supreme Court, he has participated in deciding more than 540 cases and has authored more than 65 majority and 16 dissenting or concurring opinions. Justice Ervin has earned a reputation for thoughtful legal decision-making. His opinions are perceived to be balanced, thorough, and reflecting a careful study of the facts and a reasoned application of the law. ervinforjustice.org
N.C. Court of Appeals
Carolyn Jennings Thompson
Candidate, N.C. Court of Appeals, Seat 8
Thompson is a former District Court judge and Superior Court judge with more than 25 years of combined legal and judicial experience. I understand the importance of consistently applying the law and listening attentively to all the issues. I presided over thousands of cases as a judge, and each case received my thoughtful preparation, respect, and knowledge of the law. I am committed to serving with integrity, fairness, and impartiality. carolynthompsonforjudge.com
Gale Murray Adams
Candidate, N.C. Court of Appeals, Seat 10
Adams began her career in 1984 as a Judge Advocate General in the U.S. Navy. She then worked as an assistant district attorney in Fayetteville from 1988 until she became an Assistant Federal Public Defender in 1992. She was elected a Superior Court judge for Cumberland County in 2012. She says, “I believe in being 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.” judgegaleadams.com
Brad A. Salmon
Candidate, N.C. Court of Appeals, Seat 9
Salmon currently serves as a District Court Judge for District 11 covering Lee, Harnett, and Johnston counties. He is a founding partner of The Salmon Law Firm, where he focused on representing clients in various criminal, civil, and administrative matters. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University and the Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law. Brad and his wife, Rebecca, live in Sanford. judgebradsalmon.com
Darren Jackson
Candidate, N.C. Court of Appeals, Seat 11
Jackson is a lifelong resident of eastern Wake County, father of three, and an attorney who has experience litigating both criminal and civil cases in all levels of the state courts. In addition to his law practice, Jackson served for 12 years in the N.C. General Assembly representing District 39, which includes most of eastern Wake County. He was elected House Minority Leader (Democratic) before the 2017-18 session of the N.C. General Assembly. In December 2020, Gov. Roy Cooper appointed him to serve on the N.C. Court of Appeals. judgedarrenjackson.com
N.C. Superior Court, Procedural District 15B
Allen Baddour
Candidate, N.C. Superior Court
Baddour has served as a Resident Superior Court Judge since 2006, conducting criminal and civil trials across the state, and is now Senior Resident Superior Court Judge. Prior to serving on the court, Baddour was the managing assistant district attorney for Chatham County. Baddour grew up in Orange County and is a father to two sons. judgebaddour.com
Alyson Grine
Candidate, N.C. Superior Court
Appointed by Gov. Cooper to serve as a Superior Court judge in January 2021, Grine formerly was a prosecutor in Durham’s Homicide Unit. She has also worked as an assistant professor at N.C. Central University School of Law and the Defender Educator at the UNC School of Government, where she specialized in criminal law and procedure and how issues of racial and ethnic bias may affect criminal proceedings. judgealysongrine.com
Todd Roper
Candidate, N.C. Superior Court
After serving Orange and Chatham counties as a lawyer for 30 years, Roper was appointed District Court Judge for Orange and Chatham counties in November 2020. Making balanced and impartial decisions based on the laws and facts of each case, Roper will give everyone an opportunity to be heard, recognize systemic racial problems, allow people to gain control of their lives, and make our community safer. judgetoddroper.com
District Attorney
Jeff Nieman
Candidate, District Attorney, District 15
Our community deserves a district attorney who has not only sufficient experience but also a proven track record of moving our criminal justice system in a progressive direction. I have more than 17 years of experience in the criminal courts of Chatham and Orange counties and have launched multiple initiatives in that time to reduce the criminalization of poverty, mass incarceration, and the school-to-prison pipeline. Learn about my priorities of community, equity, and justice at jeffnieman.com.
Orange County Register of Deeds
Mark H. Chilton
Candidate, Orange County Register of Deeds
Having served eight years as register of deeds and worked as a real estate attorney for 17 years before that, I am highly knowledgeable about the kinds of documents that come through this office. Over the past eight years, I have trimmed the staff by 15% through retirements. Our new software system has allowed us to handle a 75% increase in transactions with a smaller staff. As a result, we have increased our net revenues returned to Orange County by 150%, all while expanding services such as U.S. passports, simplified small business filings, and fraud alert. In my next term I will implement another software upgrade to eliminate 100,000 pages per year of unnecessary printing and make handling of birth and death certificates faster with electronic transmission. ChiltonRegister.com
Orange County Clerk of Superior Court
Mark Kleinschmidt
Candidate, Orange County Clerk of Superior Court
Kleinschmidt was elected as Orange County Clerk of Superior Court in 2018 and is running for re-election. He served on the Chapel Hill Town Council from December 2001 to December 2009. He then served as Chapel Hill mayor for three terms, from 2009 to 2015, and was the town’s first openly gay mayor. Kleinschmidt started his career as a high school social studies teacher before receiving his law degree (J.D.) from UNC in May 2000. markforocclerk.com
Orange County Sheriff
Charles Blackwood
Candidate, Orange County Sheriff
Blackwood is a 40-year veteran of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, where he began his career in 1980. Initially assigned to the Uniform Patrol Division, he rose through the ranks, earning promotions to corporal, sergeant, and then lieutenant of the Patrol Division. He was awarded with the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 2012 for his service to the State of North Carolina and then the Dogwood Award in 2020 for his work combatting the opioid epidemic in NC. Blackwood was first elected sheriff in 2014. blackwoodforsheriff.org
Orange County Board of Commissioners
Sally Greene
Candidate, Orange County BOC, At-Large
Greene received the 2021 Outstanding County Commissioner Award from the N.C. Association of County Commissioners for her work securing county funding from the settlement of a multistate opioid litigation. She also helped Orange County meet the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her priorities for a second term are focused on creating a more equitable Orange County — so every resident can make the most of what this community has to offer. sallygreene.org
Jamezetta Bedford
Candidate, Orange County BOC, District 1
Bedford is vice chair of the BOCC. A CPA and former teacher, Bedford was elected to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board in 2003, 2007, and 2011, during which time she served as vice chair and chair. She was president of the Democratic Women of Orange County from 2016 to 2018 and served on the board of directors and as president of the local chapter of the Autism Society of North Carolina, among other activities. jamezettaforcommissioner.org
Anna Richards
Candidate, Orange County BOC, District 1
Richards was appointed to the BOCC in September 2021 and is a lifelong volunteer and community advocate. She says her finance, planning, and strategic business experience will be an asset as the county plans for the future, and her experience working across segments of the community will facilitate expanding the table to engage more people. annafororange.com
Earl McKee
Candidate, Orange County BOC, District 2
Since first elected to the BOCC in 2010, McKee has served as commissioner, vice chair, and chair. A lifelong resident of Orange County, he says his focus is funding the Health Department, Social Services, and other county departments to make sure that everyone receives fair and adequate service. He previously served on the Orange County Planning Board. earlmckee.com
