The North Carolina Supreme Court is preparing to have another election in 2026. Democratic incumbent Anita Earls and Representative Sarah Stevens will be facing off in Nov. for the court seat. This election comes after Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin didn’t concede the 2024 Supreme Court race to Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs until May 2025, after a six-month legal battle.
Justice Earls has been a Justice on the Court since 2019. The court swung from a Democratic majority to a Republican one in 2022. This change in the majority will potentially change what decisions are made, according to Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Jason Husser.
“In the event that the Democrat wins the seat, we will see a five-two split,” Husser said. “In the event that the Republican wins the seat, we’ll see a six-one split. That's the basic background and context, because the majority is not on the line. We're not likely to see this race changing outcomes at a broad scale, but changing a single seat can certainly make a difference in what types of decisions are made.”
Husser believes it is too soon to tell who is the frontrunner in the race, so instead, candidates are raising money for the general election in November. Earls has already raised $1.3 million within the second half of 2025.
“As a result, they're able to focus their campaign spending in resources on the general election, generally the Supreme Court elections are not ones that are they're not down ballot races that are driving people to the polls,” Husser said.
In a statement to Elon News Network, Mary Alice Blackstock, Earl’s Campaign Manager, wrote that protecting young people’s rights and the North Carolina State Constitution is a topic that Earls wants to continue working towards.
“If re-elected, Justice Earls will continue to protect rights enshrined in our state constitution – including the right to vote and the right to a sound basic public education – and ensure the promise of equal justice under the law.”
Court decisions can have significant effects on young people, who may face barriers to voting, limited access to legal services and challenges obtaining basic services such as healthcare and electricity due to cost or availability. According to Blackstock, Earls believes the justice system should function as a place where constitutional rights are upheld for future generations rather than narrowed.
Rep. Stevens’s campaign manager did not respond to Elon News Network’s request to comment.
Husser encourages students to research candidates running in the upcoming midterms and utilize Elon’s resources.
“There's a number of tips, but if there's only one takeaway,” Husser said. “I would encourage students to go to elon.edu/vote as a first place to learn, and also look to see when the elections are happening in their areas, who is running, and then try to do some research on what those candidates stand for and which ones are the best fit for them.”