Wake County’s District Court 10 will likely see at least four new judges on the bench next year as challengers defeated two sitting judges and two judges retired paving the way for newcomers, according to unofficial election results that the North Carolina Board of Elections posted Wednesday morning.
In the county’s district court Democratic primary, challenger Renee Jordan, an attorney who defends clients charged with felonies, misdemeanors, DWIs, and traffic violations, looks to have defeated incumbent judge Anna Worley, who has served in the District 10C, Seat 3 spot since 2009. Jordan took 51 percent of the vote to Worley’s 49 percent. And in the District Court 10E, Seat 3 race, Crystal Grimes, a a public defender, defeated 17-year incumbent judge Eric Craig Chasse, with Grimes taking 72 percent of the vote to Chasse’s 28 percent.
In the race to fill retiring judge Debra Ann Sasser’s 10D, Seat 5 spot, Wake County clerk of superior court Blair Williams defeated challenger Kevin Boxberger, a criminal defense attorney, with 59 percent of the vote. But after Wake County District Court 10 Chief Justice Ned Magnum retired last month, leaving his District 10D, Seat 3 spot open, the Wake County Democratic Party nominated Boxberger to run for the seat. Boxberger told the INDY he plans to do so in November and will face Republican Karl Roth in that race.
And in the District 10A, Seat 3 race, incumbent judge Cindy Kenney defended her seat against criminal defense attorney and Wake County assistant district attorney Douglas R. Brown, taking 71 percent of the vote to Brown’s 29 percent.
In the Democratic primary race for the Wake County Board of Commissioners District 5 seat, former Wake County Public Schools Board of Education member Tara Waters defeated DaQuanta Copeland, a community activist who ran for Raleigh mayor in 2022. Waters, an educator, was appointed to the seat in January following the death of county commissioner James West last November.
In the Republican primary race for the Wake County Board of Commissioners District 6 seat, attorney Jacob Arthur defeated Darren Eustance with 80 percent of the vote (Eustance actually dropped out of the race, but his name still appeared on the ballot). Arthur will run against sitting Democratic county commissioner Shinica Thomas in November.
Sitting Wake County Schools board member Monika Johnson-Hostler, the executive director of a nonprofit that works to end domestic violence and sexual assault, will take a seat in the NC House of Representatives. Johnson-Hostler won a three-way race in NC House District 33, taking 60 percent of the vote against challengers Antoine G. Marshall and Debra Dunston, who took 26 percent and 14 percent of the vote respectively. Johnson-Hostler has no Republican challenger in November.
In Senate District 34, longtime state senator Dan Blue easily defended his seat with about 86 percent of the vote against challenger Terry Passione.
In the Republican primaries, attorney Mike Schietzelt defeated James Norman in House District 35, taking 65 percent of the vote. Schietzelt will run against Democrat Evonne Hopkins, a family law attorney, in November. Hopkins had no primary challenger.
And in NC Senate District 13, public school teacher Scott Lassiter defeated Vicki Harry with 53 percent of the vote. Lassiter will run against Democratic state senator Lisa Grafstein, a civil rights attorney, in November.
Congresswoman Deborah Ross easily overcame a challenge from Michael Camero taking 93 percent of the vote in the solidly blue U.S. House District 2. She will run against Republican Alan Swain, who defeated two opponents with 60 percent of the vote, in November.
About 25 percent of the electorate, or 204,314 voters, cast ballots in the Wake County primary. See all the Wake County election results here.
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