With midterm elections around the corner, two seats in North Carolina’s State Supreme Court are up for election: seats three and five.
Vying for seat five are Democratic incumbent Justice Sam Ervin IV and new Republican candidate Trey Allen. Allen won the Republican primary last May with 382,497 votes.
Justice Sam Ervin IV (D)
Incumbent Justice Sam Ervin IV has served on the North Carolina Supreme Court since 2015. Previously, he served on the North Carolina Court of Appeals from 2009-2015 and on the North Carolina Utilities Commission from 1999-2009.
Ervin grew up in Morganton, N.C., where he still resides. Ervin attended Harvard Law and graduated cum laude in 1981.
In the court, Ervin values informed and nonpartisan listening, which entails hearing every litigant out fairly, taking deliberation seriously and limiting decisions to the facts and the constitutions, he told The Chronicle.
“It’s called thinking that reflects an understanding of what each party is arguing for. My experience is that people understand when they go in the court system, they are not guaranteeing that the outcomes are going to be the one[s] that they want to have. But they really like that they’re being guaranteed an opportunity to be heard,” he said.
In his free time, Ervin is involved in his local Presybterian Church, participates in charitable funds and referees local soccer teams. His campaign for re-election advertises engagement with these activities as well as endorsements, including those from reproductive rights advocates and the Durham People’s Alliance.
Trey Allen (R)
Also a North Carolina native, candidate Trey Allen received his bachelor’s degree from University of North Carolina Pembroke and law degree from University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He served as a judge advocate in the U.S Marine Corps, where he “advised commanding generals and subordinate commanders on military justice and operational law matters, prosecuted violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and helped fellow Marines resolve personal legal issues,” according to his campaign website.
In an interview with the North Carolina Channel, as well as on his campaign website, Allen has listed several values he believes a judge should prioritize: staying true to the Constitution, humility, staying nonpartisan and ensuring equal justice for all North Carolinians.
Some of Allen’s endorsers include the North Carolina Troopers Association, the Onslow Conservative Coalition and the NC Values Coalition.
Allen did not respond to a request to schedule an interview with The Chronicle.
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