NC Supreme Court Race: One Republican, One Social Justice Warrior, and One Plant

RALEIGH – The North Carolina Supreme Court became a majority Democrat bench after the 2016 elections, and the differences in judicial philosophy has had a real impact on the Old North State since then.

During the last two years of incessant lawsuits against the Republican General Assembly, Democrat Governor Roy Cooper has remarked that he expects the Democrats on that bench to bail him out in his myriad lawsuits, placing partisanship above the rule of law and the constitution.

Such realities, and the creeping threat of judicial activism on key issues affecting our state and country, are exactly why the 2018 elections for the highest court in North Carolina is important.

Justice Barbara Jackson is a bulwark against the complete inundation of such legislating from the bench. A Republican running for reelection to the bench after serving eight years, Jackson is facing a tough reelection campaign, made tougher by a last minute filing by another “Republican.”

This has the Left giddy at the prospect of gaining a bigger majority through which to combat the Republicans on Jones Street, regardless of what the constitution stipulates.

Jackson is the only candidate in her crowded race emphasizing the importance of ‘judicial restraint,’ and she presented in detail in an interview just why she is the clear choice to send back to the State’s court of last resort.

“[…]it’s critical to elect judges who both understand and appreciate the role of judicial restraint.

When we deal with a dispute, or a case, in the Supreme Court, we are looking at what we call a cold record on appeal, and attorneys present their best arguments to us, telling us why the law favors their client. In contrast, when the legislature is looking to pass a bill to address a problem, or clear up confusion, they can deliberate, debate, bring in experts, establish study commissions, or employ a whole host of other tools to examine the problem and its public policy consequences.

Our roles are equally important, but completely different.

I can’t overstate this: Judges must exercise judicial restraint. It is our job to follow the law, not make the law. My record of authoring hundreds of cases demonstrates that I understand the difference.”

This sentiment alone puts Jackson head and shoulders above her opponents. It’s ‘judicial restraint’ and the constitution versus ‘equality and fairness.’

You can read the Q&A for all three candidates here.

And who are her opponents? Well, there is Anita Earls, the former director of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, running as a Democrat. This radical Leftist doesn’t need to be anywhere near the State’s highest court for easily discernible reasons.

But it’s the third candidate that is giving conservatives and constitutionalists the real heartburn –  a Democrat, turned Republican that filed for the race just minutes before the deadline.

Chris Anglin is an attorney that says his main focus in running is fighting against the state and federal attacks against an independent judiciary. He also states that he is definitely not a Democrat plant.

“Though he shared a campaign photo of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper on his Facebook page in 2015, Anglin said he’s not a Democratic “plant.” He’s also Facebook friends with Democratic Sen. Jay Chaudhuri and Ken Eudy, a Cooper adviser.

“I filed as a Republican to … stand up for the independence of the judiciary,” he said. “…This is not a trick by the Democrats. … I didn’t think I could sit on the sidelines any more and not take action.””

Did you hear that? Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

Yeah – it’s definitely a trick by the Democrats. Planting an alternate Republican on the ballot to trick voters and siphon votes way from Jackson, thus clearing the deck for Earls to bring her social justice warrior ways to the State’s highest court.

Partisan judicial races may have enabled voters to make more informed decisions in the voting booth, but it also opened tight races up to these kind of political slights of hand. It’s nothing new, to be sure, but voters should know there’s only one real Republican in the race for N.C. Supreme Court, and her name is Barbara Jackson.