John S. Arrowood
Democratic PartyincumbentNC Court of Appeals Judge Seat 1 · Wake County, North Carolina · November 3, 2026
Also on the ballot: Michael C. Byrne (Republican Party)
John S. Arrowood is the Democratic incumbent on the NC Court of Appeals, first elected in 2018 after an earlier appointment and two election losses. In 2018 he became the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to statewide office in North Carolina and is seeking another term.
What this office decides
The North Carolina Court of Appeals is the state's intermediate appeals court: fifteen judges elected statewide in partisan races to eight-year terms, hearing cases in panels of three. It decides most appeals from trial courts and state agencies, including criminal convictions, custody and family cases, business disputes, and challenges to state rules, and its rulings stand unless the Supreme Court takes the case.
How this race lines up with you
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Dossier
Researched 2026-09-23 · Claude Code research agent with web searchDonald Trump: nothing found. No search result found any Trump statement endorsing or opposing Arrowood in this race.
- LGBTQ+ Victory Fund (for) source
Who they are
Arrowood is the incumbent judge on this seat, having served since Gov. Roy Cooper reappointed him in April 2017 and voters elected him to a full term in 2018 (NCSBE Voter Guide; Wikipedia). He was first appointed in 2007 by Gov. Mike Easley but lost the 2008 election to Robert N. Hunter Jr., then lost again in 2014 (Wikipedia). In 2018 he became the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to statewide office in North Carolina (Wikipedia), after 26 years in Charlotte litigation practice (Victory Fund).
Positions
- Crime & policing / Business & regulation / Voting rules: No public issue position found.
- Party politics in courts: No explicit statement on partisan judicial elections; campaigns on "Equal Justice Under Law" and "Experience, Integrity, Courage" (keepjudgearrowood.com).
- Judicial philosophy: "committed to an independent judiciary that upholds the rule of law" (NCSBE Voter Guide).
Record
His campaign says he has heard about 2,000 cases and authored 600-plus opinions (NCSBE Voter Guide; keepjudgearrowood.com). Issued a published opinion in case COA25-1201, on arbitration and equitable estoppel, September 2, 2026 (NC Judicial Branch opinions). Previously a Special Superior Court judge (2007) and a partner at James, McElroy & Diehl in Charlotte (keepjudgearrowood.com).
Money
Has more than 1,500 individual donors giving $50 or less, a larger base than Byrne's, per a Democratic-aligned voter guide; no total figure found (Forsyth Dems voter guide). Filings: NC campaign finance database.
Recent news
- 2026-09-02: Issued a published Court of Appeals opinion in case COA25-1201 (NC Judicial Branch).
- 2024: Inducted into the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute Hall of Fame; serves on its Victory Action Board (Victory Fund).
What we couldn't find
- Any stated position on the race's other value issues, a total fundraising figure, or any Trump comment.