Sarah Stevens

Republican Party

NC Supreme Court Associate Justice Seat 1 · Wake County, North Carolina · November 3, 2026

Also on the ballot: Anita Earls (Democratic Party)

Sarah Stevens is a Republican who resigned her NC House seat in June 2026, where she chaired the Judiciary and Elections Law committees, to run for the NC Supreme Court against incumbent Anita Earls. She has no prior judicial experience and a long legislative record on election law.

What this office decides

The North Carolina Supreme Court is the state's highest court: seven justices elected statewide in partisan races to eight-year terms. It has the final word on the state constitution, which puts it at the center of disputes over redistricting, voting rules, school funding, and the balance of power between the governor and the legislature. It also hears death-penalty appeals and sets rules for every court in the state.

How this race lines up with you

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Dossier

Researched 2026-09-23 · Claude Code research agent with web search

Donald Trump: nothing found. No search result found any Trump statement endorsing or opposing Stevens in this race.

Who they are

Sarah Stevens holds no judicial office; she was the Republican House member for District 90 (Surry/Wilkes) from 2009 until resigning June 16, 2026 (NC General Assembly; NC Newsline). A family-law attorney for about 30 years, she was House Speaker Pro Tempore (2017-Jan 2025) and chaired Judiciary and Elections Law (Wikipedia). She has never served as a judge (WFAE).

Positions

Voting rules: Co-sponsored the 2013 voter ID bill HB 589 (also cut early voting, ended same-day registration), the 2018 voter ID amendment, and a 2025 bill barring the state board from encouraging turnout (Bolts).
Party politics in courts: "If you have one person or a group of five or six uber-liberals who've decided they don't like that law...that's wrong"; says Earls's equity work "should be policy decisions of the General Assembly" (WUNC).
Crime & policing / Business & regulation: No public position found.
Judicial philosophy: "I believe in following the law as written and a strict following of the constitution"; would recuse from cases on her own bills (NCSBE Voter Guide).

Record

Also served on the NC Courts Commission (WFAE). Campaign statement: "I am running because my opponent has twice ruled against the constitution on issues of voter identification and redistricting" (NCSBE Voter Guide).

Money

Raised about $300,000 by July 2026, far behind Earls (WUNC). Elections board found her campaign illegally accepted $6,800 from lobbyist Harold Brubaker and $1,500 from lobbyist Andy Munn; ruled unintentional, funds returned (NC Newsline). Filings: NC campaign finance database.

What we couldn't find

Cash-on-hand, outside endorsements, and votes on bills outside elections law.

Sources (9)