Incumbent
Anita Earls
IncumbentAnita Earls
North Carolina Supreme Court winner?
$350.76
NOV 4, 2026
General Election
Voters choose the office holder.
Overview
Current roleJudge
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyProgressive Democrat
Age66 years old (Feb 20, 1960)
GenderFemale
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LocationNorth Carolina
BackgroundAssociate Justice, North Carolina Supreme Court
EducationWilliams College (B.A.)
Notable personal detailsAnita S. Earls is a civil rights attorney and an Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. She took office on January 1, 2019, after winning election in 2018. Earls previously founded and led the Southern Coalition for Social Justice in Durham and served in the U.S. Department of Justice during the Clinton administration as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. She is a graduate of Williams College and Yale Law School.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Healthcare
Supports access to healthcare and has described protecting access to healthcare as a constitutional or policy priority; as a justice she has authored opinions that protect retired state employees’ health insurance benefits. Her public materials emphasize healthcare access as part of defending rights and protections for North Carolinians.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Supports reproductive freedom and access to healthcare while criticizing proposals to significantly restrict abortion; has positioned herself against opponents’ votes for strict abortion limits. She frames reproductive rights as part of protecting rights and freedoms under the state constitution.
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Climate & Energy
The candidate supports protecting a clean environment and has a record of legal advocacy for communities affected by environmental harms; endorsements from environmental groups indicate alignment with pro-environment policies. Her work with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice included legal actions addressing environmental impacts on communities.
News
Anita Earls is in the news mainly because North Carolina voting rules remain a major issue, with a federal judge upholding the state’s photo voter ID law. That ruling is a setback for civil rights groups and could affect turnout in future elections. She is also being mentioned in broader North Carolina election coverage as Democrats work to mobilize rural Black voters ahead of the 2026 midterms.
North Carolina’s photo voter ID mandate can continue as a judge upholds the law
RNC launches multimillion-dollar election integrity push in 17 states
North Carolina's electoral future may hinge on rural Black voters
Big money flows into state attorney general races as legal battles shape American politics
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls
- Endorsements
- Fundraising