Sarah Stevens, a Republican from Mount Airy, is running against Democratic incumbent Anita Earls for North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Seat 1 in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. The official candidate list confirms the statewide contest.
Experience and education
Her campaign biography lists graduation from Mount Airy High School, UNC-Greensboro and Campbell University School of Law. It says she maintained a private law practice for more than 30 years and served as president of the Surry County Bar Association.
The campaign lists legislative experience as a House Republican leader, former speaker pro tempore, chair of judiciary and elections committees, and former chair of the North Carolina Courts Commission. It also describes her work on child welfare and victims’ rights.
Judicial approach
Stevens says the law should be applied as written and that judges should avoid creating laws from the bench. Her campaign emphasizes respect for the state Constitution and protection of liberty.
In the State Board of Elections Judicial Voter Guide, she identifies neutral application of the law as a priority and presents her private practice and legislative work as preparation for serving on the court.
These descriptions summarize Stevens’s stated priorities and attributed campaign biography.
