Bill > H129

This bill reestablishes nonpartisan judicial elections in North Carolina and creates a public campaign financing system for judicial candidates, specifically for Supreme Court and Court of Appeals races. The bill introduces a comprehensive new framework for judicial elections, including a primary system that narrows candidate fields to two candidates per position, a specific process for filing candidacy notices, and filing fees. Candidates can either pay a filing fee (equal to 1% of the annual salary for the judicial position) or submit a petition with signatures from registered voters. The bill also creates the North Carolina Public Campaign Fund, which allows judicial candidates to receive public campaign financing if they meet certain requirements, such as gathering a minimum number of qualifying contributions from registered voters and accepting strict fundraising and spending limits. Candidates who opt into the public financing system can receive base funding and potentially matching funds if their opponents or independent groups spend beyond certain thresholds. The bill aims to reduce the influence of money in judicial elections and restore public confidence in a nonpartisan judiciary, and it will take effect for primaries and elections held on or after January 1, 2026. Notably, the bill is named after Judge Joe John, a longtime advocate for nonpartisan judicial elections, and includes provisions to ensure transparency, limit individual contributions, and provide an alternative to traditional campaign fundraising.

Government Affairs

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/H129