Hello friends, thanks for joining me in the NC Deep Dive. I'm your host, Amanda Benbow Lunn, and we are in the thick of the 2026 primary election season. Early voting starts in less than a week on Thursday, February 12th, with election day being Tuesday, March 3rd. When you go to vote, you will be handed a ballot based on your address and your party affiliation. If you are unaffiliated, sometimes also referred here as independent, then you will have your choice of which party's ballot you would like to vote. Please note that you are only able to cast one ballot, and that there are no primary ballots for the libertarian, green, or no-labels parties. Moreover, candidates for the general election in November who do not have a primary challenger will not appear on your primary ballot. They get a pass directly to the general election. Due to time constraints and the plethora of candidates, and my belief that having as much information as possible is of vast importance, this primary election segment will consist of me covering one race at a time and going over each candidate's website and what I can find in a simple Google search in case it's easier for you to take the information in this way. I'll also be reading over the answers they gave if they submitted any responses to our 2026 voters guide questionnaire. If you are short on time, you can check out our NC Deep Dive Voter Guide for the 2026 primary election found pinned to our Facebook page or in this episode's show notes at www.ncdeepdive.com. It will be an easy way to access each candidate's website and research the candidates on your own if that is a better use of your time. Without further ado, friends, let's dive in. This race will be found on the Republican primary ballot. It will cover the North Carolina Court of Appeals judge for seat one. There are two candidates running for this race. Michael C. Byrne and Matt Smith. You will be eligible to vote for one of these candidates. Starting with Michael C. Byrne, his website is mb4nc.com, Michael C. Byrne, North Carolina Court of Appeals. Administrative Law Judge Michael C. Byrne for North Carolina Court of Appeals. The only candidate endorsed by these major national and state law enforcement groups, endorsed by the NC Fraternal Order of Police, the NC Police Benevolent Association, and the National Association of Police Organizations. Click here to see even more endorsements. I am the only NC Court of Appeals candidate endorsed by the National Association of Police Organizations, NAPO, 241,000 sworn officers and 1,000 police organizations nationwide. The North Carolina Fraternal Order of Police, FOP, part of the nation's largest police fraternal organization. North Carolina Police Benevolent Association, PBA, NC's largest law enforcement organization. This combination of endorsements is unprecedented in a North Carolina judicial primary. Additionally, I have been endorsed by the following. Former GOP speaker, pro tem Paul Skip Stam, who said in his endorsement letter below, Michael has 20 plus times more relevant experience for a potential judge of the Court of Appeals than the other candidate. Grassroots North Carolina GRNC, a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization devoted to educating the public about trends which abridge the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, and engaging in grassroots activism to preserve those freedoms. Lastly, sees some of the many sample ballots encouraging voters like you to cast your vote for me. Buncombe County for Conservative Veteranslash Grassroots Candidates and Wake County Conservative Coalition of NC. Here are the announcements of a selection of the endorsements. There's a letter from Paul Skip Stam on February 12th of this year. FOP's Facebook post announcing their endorsement on January 30th, 2026, PBA's Facebook post announcing their endorsement on February 2nd, 2026. Napo's endorsement letter on October 16th, 2025. It says help support Michael. You can send checks to elect Michael C. Byrne to appeal box in Raleigh. Help put Michael on the court. Donate here. Why the Court of Appeals needs Judge Michael Byrne. There's one column that says 100% of appealed OAH decisions affirmed by the Court of Appeals as of 2-126. 390 plus decisions issued as an administrative law judge. 20 plus cases litigated in the Court of Appeals. 270 plus cases as an attorney at the Office of Administrative Hearings. Michael is your experienced candidate. Decades of trial work, 272 cases as a lawyer in the Office of Administrative Hearings, and more than 20 cases in the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. Almost 400 decisions and more than five years as an administrative law judge, upheld by the Court of Appeals as of 2126 in complex cases like certificate of need and public employment. Experience like this can only be earned, and it's what's needed to win a Court of Appeals seat for Republicans. Michael is your conservative candidate. Conservative judge is more than words on a piece of paper. Conservative judges know that fairness comes first. They listen to both sides, they know the law, they protect the rights of our North Carolina Constitution, they apply the law, not make the law. Conservative judges serve the people. That's Michael's record, and 390 decisions and counting. Michael is your fairness candidate. As an attorney, Michael ensured fairness in NC law enforcement officers and other state employees from administrative hearings all the way to the state Supreme Court. He never lost a law enforcement officer case in the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeals. As an administrative law judge, Michael protects the rights of all parties. He issues decisions strictly based on due process and the law. Without fear or favor, Michael will bring to the Court of Appeals decades of proven legal experience. Click here to read Michael's bio. Meet Michael. Michael is a lifelong North Carolina Republican and an experienced administrative law judge. Administrative law judge Michael C. Byrne is running for Court of Appeals. He grew up in Wake County, NC. He earned his Bachelors of Arts in English with a university and departmental honors from North Carolina State University. He earned his law degree from Campbell University, where he served as editor of the Campbell Law Observer. After several years of trial and appellate practice in North Carolina State and Federal Courts, Michael restricted his law practice to representing law enforcement and public employees in the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings, OAH, Superior Court, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court. Between 2005 and 2020, Michael appeared in over 270 cases in OAH, serving as a referral attorney for multiple law enforcement organizations. See his endorsements from three law enforcement organizations and read this article from a police organization about Michael's work supporting police officers. Michael litigated more than 20 cases in the Court of Appeals as an attorney, including law enforcement and correctional officers who were wrongfully fired or otherwise disciplined. Cases Michael won on behalf of NC Law Enforcement are now regularly cited in similar cases by OAH in the Court of Appeals. Michael also submitted Amicus Friend of the Court briefs in court appeals and Supreme Court cases for public employee and law enforcement groups. In June 2020, Michael was sworn in as an administrative law judge, where in just over five years he has issued almost 400 final decisions, opinions. Michael writes his decisions himself instead of delegating this important work to others. Michael's top priority is giving fair hearings to all parties. Nine of Michael's decisions were later appealed to the Court of Appeals. All were unanimously affirmed, upheld by the Court of Appeals most recently in October of 2025. Michael's judicial philosophy is summarized by the one-sentence directive the chief judge at OAH gave him when he first started there. Get it right. He believes passionately in due process, fairness, giving all sides a chance to be heard, and deciding cases strictly based on the law without fear or favor. Michael lives in Kerry with his wife, Bridget, and their dog Tilda. See some significant cases where Michael was an attorney or an administrative law judge. Key cases. These are some of the selected appellate cases where Michael served as an attorney or an administrative law judge. Harris v. NC, Department of Public Safety, affirmed. In the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, Michael wins a wrongful dismissal action for correctional officer accused of striking an inmate. Harris is cited in 90 subsequent decisions. Whitehurst v. East Carolina University. Michael wins a wrongful dismissal action for an ECU police sergeant subjected to a politically motivated firing. Whitehurst is cited in 28 subsequent decisions. Wetherington vs. North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Michael assists veteran police attorney J. Michael McGuinness in winning an 11-year legal battle over the wrongful dismissal of a highway patrol member accused of lying over the loss of his hat. Locklear v. North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Court of Appeals unanimously affirms Michael's final decision overturning the dismissal of a highway patrol member for the employer's failure to consider legal factors mandated by the Supreme Court in public employment cases. WR Imaging, LLC versus NCHHS. Court of Appeals unanimously affirms Michael's final decision in a case brought under the North Carolina Certificate of Need, CON law. Michael's final decisions in two other CON law cases or con law cases were unanimously affirmed by the Court of Appeals most recently on July 2nd, 2025. There's a video on YouTube that says Experience Matters, and he lists next to it. Experience Matters. In this short video, I explain why experience matters on the bench or on the racetrack. If you enjoyed this video, click here to see more. And that takes you to three videos that he has. The one of Experience Matters. There's one why I am running. In this short video, I explain why the NC Court of Appeals needs a judge who is conservative, experienced, and fair, like me. And the last one is two names, one ballot. In this one-minute video, I discuss how judges are elected in North Carolina. It says, please let us keep you informed, sign up. And you can also follow me on social media. He has a Facebook and Instagram links. That is the totality of Michael C. Byrne's website. And there is a donate button if you would like to do that as well. Upon a Google search, I found his Ballotpedia page. Michael Byrne of the Republican Party is running for the election for the seat one judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. He is on the ballot in the Republican primary on March 3, 2026. Michael Byrne earned a high school diploma from Millbrook High School, a bachelor's degree from the North Carolina State University, and a law degree from Campbell University. Byrne's career experience includes working as an administrative law judge. He did answer some of Ballotpedia's survey questions. One, who are you? Tell us about yourself. Administrative law judge Michael C. Byrne is a candidate for seat one on the NC Court of Appeals. After several years of trial and appellate practice in North Carolina state and federal courts, Judge Byrne restricted his law practice to representing law enforcement and public employees in the NC Office of Administrative Hearings, OAH, Superior Court, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court. Between 2005 and 2020, he appeared in over 270 cases in OAH, serving as a referral attorney for multiple law enforcement organizations. Judge Byrne litigated more than 20 cases in the Court of Appeals as an attorney, including law enforcement and correctional officers who are wrongfully fired or otherwise disciplined. Cases he won on behalf of NC Law Enforcement are now regularly cited in similar cases by OAH and the Court of Appeals. Judge Byrne also submitted amicus, friend of the court briefs, in Court of Appeals and Supreme Court cases for public employee and law enforcement groups. In June 2020, Judge Byrne also was sworn in as an administrative law judge where in just over five years he has issued almost 400 final decisions or opinions. He writes his decisions himself. Instead of delegating this important work to others, his top priority is giving fair hearings to all parties. Nine of Judge Byrne's decisions were later appealed to the Court of Appeals. All were unanimously affirmed or upheld by the Court of Appeals most recently in October of 2025. Please list below three key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? One, while I am a lifelong North Carolina Republican, there is no such thing as a Democrat or Republican justice. I do not have a side when it comes to the law. Judges who take partisanship into account in their work undermine public trust and confidence in the fairness of the legal system. Two, my judicial philosophy is summarized by the one-sentence directive the chief judge at the Office of Administrative Hearings gave him when he first started there. Get it right. 3. I believe passionately in due process, fairness, giving all sides a chance to be heard and deciding, cases strictly based on the law without fear or favor. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? As a judicial candidate, I cannot comment on current events. What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign? I'm the only NC Court of Appeals candidate endorsed by the North Carolina Fraternal Order of Police, part of the nation's largest police fraternal organization. The North Carolina Police Benevolent Association, PBA, it's North Carolina's largest law enforcement organization, and the National Association of Police Organizations, NAPO, 241,000 sworn officers and 1,000 police organizations nationwide. This combination of endorsements is unprecedented in a North Carolina judicial primary. There's no information under campaign finance summary for him. Michael Byrne did reach back out to me after some of my attempts to reach him via email and text message and social media messaging. He said on the last date of the extension that I gave that he sent the answers in. One article that I saw was from SSPBA.org, the North Carolina division. It says the title of the article is Administrative Law Judge Byrne, Winning as an Attorney and as a Judge, written November 26th of last year by John Midget, the NCPBA Executive Director. When North Carolina Administrative Law Judge Michael Byrne served as a PBA lawyer for many years, Byrne vigorously represented members and protected their rights. Byrne also contributed to PBA victories on appeal by writing friend-of-the-court briefs for the PBA in multiple North Carolina Court of Appeals and Supreme Court cases. In 2020, Byrne accepted an appointment as an administrative law judge in the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings, OAH, where he had appeared in many cases as an attorney. While PBA missed Byrne's work in the courtroom, PBA was reassured to have someone on the bench who both knew the law and understood and applied fairness and due process for North Carolina law enforcement officers as the one he accomplished as a PBA lawyer. As an administrative law judge, Byrne has heard many law enforcement certification cases and state personnel cases. Judge Byrne has earned an impeccable record as a judge. In his courtroom, law enforcement officers receive fair trials. On October 15th, the North Carolina Court of Appeals affirmed Judge Byrne's decision in O'Sullivan versus Hyde County Health Department. In Hyde, Judge Byrne had ruled that a termination letter issued to a Department of Social Services employee was legally insufficient, as her employer failed to include all statutory appeal rights in the letter and simply attached its grievance policy to the termination letter. The employer appealed, claiming Judge Byrne erred in claiming its notice was invalid. The Court of Appeals, in a published reaffirmation of the right to due process for North Carolina public employees, held that obscuring this appeals right information in an attached policy document, as happened here, fails to implement the legislature's intent that employees receive proper notice of their appeal rights in disciplinary action cases. Judge Byrne's ruling was correct. Remarkably, Hyde marked the ninth straight time Judge Byrne was unanimously affirmed by the Court of Appeals since taking the bench just over five years ago. These cases included protection of due process and fairness for law enforcement officers. Judge Byrne has been active on the OAH bench, issuing more than 380 decisions since 2020, including many involving law enforcement rights. One example, OAH hears law enforcement certification cases. Of the 70 decisions in those issued by OAH since 2020, Byrne wrote 35, more than half, as one of nine administrative law judges employed by that office. Judge Byrne has now taken on a new challenge, running for election in 2026 as a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals, PBA, and other friends of law enforcement will be watching both the primary election on March 3, 2026, and the November general election with great interest. However, one thing is sure: whether he stays on the OAH bench or goes to the Court of Appeals, PBA Judge Byrne will keep providing fairness and due process for North Carolina's law enforcement community. The Wsoctv.com has an article, The Political Beat Primary Candidate Guide for North Carolina Court of Appeals, seat one that was written on February 13th, 2026. In the race for seat one on the North Carolina Court of Appeals, Michael C. Byrne is taking on Matt Smith in the Republican Party. The winner will face Democrat John Arrowwood. So Michael C. Byrne, what is your occupation? Administrative law judge at the NC Office of Administrative Hearings. Why are you running? As an attorney, I ensured fairness for NC law enforcement officers and other state employees from administrative hearings all the way to the state Supreme Court. I never lost a law enforcement officer case in the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeals. As an administrative law judge, I protect the rights of all parties. I issue decisions strictly based on due process and the law without fear or favor. I will bring to the Court of Appeals decades of proven legal expertise, of legal expertise. What is your legal judicial experience? I have combined 30 years of trial, appellate, and judicial experience. In almost six years as an NC administrative law judge, I've authored almost 400 opinions. Nine were reviewed by the Court of Appeals, and all were unanimously affirmed. I have never been reversed by the Court of Appeals. As a lawyer, I personally did more than 20 cases in the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court and served as an amicus for the multiple groups and others. Additionally, I litigated hundreds of trials, including 272 cases alone in the Office of Administrative Hearings, where I am now a judge. What is your judicial philosophy? Judges follow the law and the NC Constitution as written. But the overall philosophy is fairness. Everyone appearing before the courts, no matter who they are, receives a fair and impartial hearing. Due process and fair hearings are essential. What separates you from your opponent? I am the only primary endorsed Court of Appeals candidate by the National Association of Police Organizations, 241,000 sworn officers and 1,000 police organizations nationwide. The North Carolina Fraternal Order of Police, part of the nation's largest police fraternal organization, and the North Carolina Police Benevolent Association, NC's largest law enforcement organization. This combination of endorsements is unprecedented in an NC judicial primary, and I have more endorsements coming, so check out my website for updates. Also, as noted, I did more than 20 cases in the Court of Appeals, and I can find no evidence that my opponent in his entire career did more than one. I did find one random article on Substack from Anderson Alerts.substack.com entitled Why a North Carolina Court of Appeals Candidate Once Donated to the Democratic Judge. He now hopes to unseat. Republican Court of Appeals candidate Michael Byrne has previously contributed to Democratic incumbent John Arrowwood. This article was written on January 13th of this year. It's not the only topic in the article, but it does say roll call. Number one, a GOP candidate donated to the Democrat he's looking to unseat. Voting is underway in the primaries, and then it goes to talk about a couple of other things, but it does say donation juicy. Republican Court of Appeals candidate Michael Byrne is facing pushback from his primary opponent over donations he made several years ago to a number of Democrats, including the incumbent he's now trying to unseat. You can click more to read more if that's something that you are interested in. Now we're moving to the second candidate for the North Carolina Court of Appeals, Judge Seat One on the Republican ballot. And his name is Matt Smith. His website is vote mattsmithjudge.com. Matt Smith Court of Appeals, there's a donate button and it says join Team Smith. About Judge Smith, personal and family. Judge Smith and his wife Claire live in Union County, where they were married in 2011. They have two children, Grooms and Lily. Judge Smith was born and raised in Indian Trail, Union County, North Carolina. In his free time, Matt enjoys spending time in the yard, working in his wood shop, and working out. One of his biggest passions is Spartan obstacle course racing. He has participated in obstacle course racing for over a decade and has completed 75 races around the country. Education. Judge Smith attended Union County Public Schools, graduating from Sun Valley High School in 1991. He earned his bachelor's degree in industrial relations and psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May of 1997. He later earned his jurisdoctorate degree from Campbell University School of Law in May of 2002. While in law school, he was a staff member and articles editor of the Campbell University Law Review and graduated Hum Lade Education and Legal Career. Prior to taking the bench as a judge, he practiced law as a trial attorney for over 18 years. He worked in a firm for eight years, then founded and operated his own firm for more than a decade. He practiced in criminal and civil courts. Smith was elected to the district court bench in 2020. He was elected as a superior court judge in 2022 and has served in that role since then. As a superior court judge, he has presided over court in 15 different counties. As a judge, he has presided over nearly every type of case that comes before the court. Says 2026 North Carolina Conservative Judges, and it lists NC Representative Sarah Stevens for NC Supreme Court, Judge Craig Collins for Court of Appeals, Judge George Bell for Court of Appeals, and Judge Matt Smith for Court of Appeals. There is a tab for media and audio. He has a graphic here that lists his opponent, Michael C. Byrne, the city that he's from, his job title, and the various political committees and candidates that he has donated to, their affiliation, the date the donation occurred, and the amount. So it says Michael C. Byrne has donated to Cooper for governor a number of times, Anderson for House, Committee to keep Judge Arrowwood. That is the incumbent currently. Keep Judge Chris Brooke, Allegra Collins for Judge, Justice Mark Davis Committee, Friends of Keith Gregory, Lucy Inman for Justice, Committee to Re-elect Judge Abe Jones, Committee to Keep Judge Lewis Meyer, re-elect Judge Linda Stevens, Keep Judge Ruben Young, Berger for Justice, the Jefferson Griffin Committee, elect Bob Steinberg, Friends of Tim Moore, Stamm for House, Paul Stamm, and NC Advocates for Justice. So the last one is the only unaffiliated group that he gave money, and that was in June 17th of 2016, $100. The last eight or so candidates before that one were Republican candidates, Berger for Justice through Stam for House. And those dates ranged from 923 of 2014 through October 14th of 2016, with various amounts from looks like 100 to about $500. And then the rest of the list all show a DEM affiliation starting in May 11th of 2020, going through, well, I suppose they're not in order, but it looks like the most recent ones were in 2019 for various amounts ranging from it looks to be $100 to $1,000. Does say total to Roy Cooper was $2,800. Total to Republican governors, zero. Total to Dem judges, $5,850. Total to Republican judges, $650. But just a special note, I have not confirmed this. I did not look it up. If that's something you're interested in, then you might want to verify that. There's an audio link for Matt Smith for Court of Appeals. It looks to be almost nine minutes long. Follow the campaign on Facebook, and that is the totality of his website. There is a donation link in case I have not mentioned that. Doing a Google search, I did find his Ballotpedia entry. It says Matt Smith, Republican Party, is running for election for the seat one judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. He is on the ballot in the Republican primary on March 3rd, 2026. Matt Smith graduated from Sun Valley High School. Smith earned a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 1991, and a law degree from Campbell Law School in 2002. Smith's career experience includes serving as judge. He did answer a few questions from Ballotpedia's survey questionnaire. Who are you? Tell us about yourself. It says Judge Smith is a constitutional conservative who believes that any case must be decided only as the law requires. The personal opinions of a judge are irrelevant. The law must be applied as it is written. The law must be applied equally to all parties that come before the court. Judge Smith spent a career dedicated to justice under the letter of the law. A lifelong resident of Union County, where currently lives with his wife and children, he graduated from Sun Valley High School. He earned his bachelor's degree in industrial relations and psychology from the UNC Chapel Hill in May of 1997. Judge Smith earned his jurisdoctorate degree from Campbell University School of Law in May of 2002. While in law school, he was an articles editor for the Campbell University Law Review and graduated cum laude. Judge Smith spent nearly 19 years as a trial lawyer, practicing in both district and superior courts the last 10 plus years running his own law firm. Prior to taking the bench as a judge, he practiced law as a trial attorney for over 18 years. He worked in a firm for eight years, then founded and operated his own firm for more than a decade. He practiced in criminal and civil courts. Smith was elected as a district court bench, then elected as a superior court judge, and has served in that role since. As a superior court judge, he has presided over courts across North Carolina, hearing nearly every type of case that comes before the Court of Appeals. Please list below three key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? One, experienced and dedicated to the rule of law. Two, believes only the law as written should guide a judge to the result in a case. Three, we just strive to maintain the public's trust in our justice system. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? He responded, I am passionate about the integrity of the court. There is nothing under campaign finance summary. He did fill out our North Carolina Deep Dive Voters Guide. Question one, experience in preparation. What experience best prepares you for the work of an appellate judge? I earned a JD from Campbell University School of Law in May of 2002. While in law school, I was the articles editor of the Campbell University Law Review and graduated cum laude. Prior to taking the bench as a judge, he practiced law as a trial attorney for over 18 years, founding and operating my own firm. In the private sector, I practiced in criminal and civil courts. I was elected to the District Court Bench in Union County, then was elected as a superior court judge and have served in that role since then. As a superior court judge, I have presided in courts across North Carolina and have ruled on nearly every type of case that comes before the Court of Appeals. 2. Decision making. How do you approach cases where legal precedent, statutory interpretation, and constitutional principles may be in tension? He said these three ideals are not mutually exclusive. Under North Carolina case law, the NCGA enjoys a presumption that any law passed by that body is constitutional. The burden of proof the challenger of any statute must surpass is beyond a reasonable doubt, which is the highest burden under the law. Legal precedent should be followed or chaos of law ensues. Any court should follow precedent to the maximum extent possible. The Constitution is the highest authority any court must use to rule on a case. 3. Judicial judgment. What factors guide your decision making when reviewing complex or controversial cases? He said a judge is guided solely by the law as it is written. A judge must give legal effect to the strict text of the law. When approaching any case, a judge must analyze available precedent to determine how to decide any case. A judge must look beyond the bare holdings of a case and analyze deeply each detail of a case to determine how to rule. 4. Limits and restraint. Are there areas of law where judges should be especially cautious about overreach or judicial activism? He said a judge must always be cautious about overreach and judicial activism. Allowing any case to be decided by your personal feelings, views, or opinions is a violation of the oath of office you swore. Any decision reached by a judge should be based solely on the issue to be decided. No court should go beyond exactly what is necessary to decide the case. That is judicial restraint. Number five, integrity under pressure. Can you describe a professional situation where you upheld the law of your principles despite outside pressure? He said ruling on the issue of possession of a firearm on certain property. I was asked to rule on the constitutionality of the statute as applied to the specific facts of a case. While the statute was facially valid, applying the statute to the specific facts of the case before me seemed to be a violation of the Second Amendment. There was only one case on point decided in the appellate courts. The Supreme Court, in the one case with precedential value, ruled as narrowly as it could to reach a decision. That is what a court is supposed to do. Although the facts of the case I was deciding were similar to the facts of the precedential case, they were not so close as to require the same result without extending the holding of the previous case. As a trial court judge, I lack the authority to extend the holding of any case. As such, I ruled the statute as applied to the case was constitutional. I added to my ruling that if the holding of that case was to be extended to other facts, it must be done in the appellate courts. I respected the notion that as a trial court judge, I must never do anything beyond my authority despite my personal views or feelings. 6. Judicial Philosophy: How does your judicial philosophy guide your interpretation of the Constitution and statutes? I am a Constitutional Conservative therefore I am a textualist. The law must be followed as it is written. If statutory interpretation is required it must be done with the utmost attention to the intent of the lawmakers, not your opinion. 7. Accountability.

How should voters evaluate your performance or hold you accountable as a judge? He said voters must pay attention to what a judge has done in the past. You must decide for yourself if the judge encompasses what you believe a judge should be. Take the time to reach out to a candidate to seek their philosophy just as this questionnaire has done. Number eight, learn more. How can voters learn more about you, your judicial philosophy, and your experience? He said, visit my website at votemattsmithjudge.com or his Facebook page, Matt Smith for Judge. I did find one news article by the News and Observer with the title How NC Republicans in Court of Appeals primary describe their philosophy. It's dated February 13th, 2026. It is there, but it has a paywall, so I wasn't able to access it. But in case it's something of interest, you can look into it. Back to the WSOCTV.com article that I read for the previous candidate. Again, the it's entitled The Political Beat Primary Candidate Guide, the North Carolina Court of Appeals, seat one, written February 13th. Then the race for a seat one of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Michael C. Byrne is taking on Matt Smith in the Republican Party. The winner will face Democrat John Arrowwood. Under Matt Smith, it says, What is your occupation? He says NC Superior Court Judge. Why are you running? I am running for the NC Court of Appeals because I believe my judicial philosophy and experience would benefit appellate courts. What is your legal judicial experience? He said, I spent under 19 years as a trial lawyer, two years as a district court judge, and am currently serving in my fourth year as a superior court judge. What is your judicial philosophy? He responded, I am a constitutional conservative who believes only the law dictates the outcome of any case and not the personal opinion or desire of the jurist. What separates you from your opponent? He says, I have spent my entire career in the courtroom as a lawyer and a judge. I have presided as a judge and practice as a lawyer in the areas that make up around 95% of the caseload of the Court of Appeals. Lastly, I did find an IndyWeek.com article that goes over the Court of Appeals Judge Seat 1 for the Republican primary. It says Democratic Court of Appeals judge John Arrowwood is seeking re-election for the statewide judicial post. He was appointed to the seat in 2007 but lost a bid for the full eight-year term the following year. He was appointed back into the appellate court in 2017 and won the seat in 2018, becoming the first openly gay person to win a statewide contest in North Carolina. He faces no primary challengers, and that's the Democratic side. Meanwhile, two Republicans are running to oust him. Superior Court Judge Matt Smith and administrative law judge Michael Byrne. The winner will face Arrowwood in November. Smith is a Union County native who earned his law degree from Campbell University in 2002. He then practiced law for 18 years as a trial attorney before winning a district court seat in 2020 and a superior court contest in 2022. Byrne grew up in Wake County and also got his law degree from Campbell and became an administrative law judge in 2020. Again, these were the candidates running on the Republican ballot for the NC Court of Appeals for Judge Seat 1. There are two candidates running, Michael C. Byrne and Matt Smith, and you will be eligible to vote for one of those candidates if you pick up the Republican ballot in this primary election. And that brings this episode of the NC Deep Dive to a close. Make sure you check out all the other relevant episodes for the 2026 primary election at www.ncdeepdive.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, or wherever you currently listen to your podcast. I will be including helpful links for each candidate and voting in general on our website show notes, including our NC Deep Dives Voters Guide for the 2026 primary election. We were blessed to have many candidates that took the time to share their thoughts and speak to voters within Southern Wake County. The Voter's Guide is arranged by party affiliation and organized in such a way to make it relatively easy to find the races or the candidates you might be interested in. All candidates' websites are linked if I was able to find one. I also consciously chose to arrange the voters' guide starting at the end of the ballot. So often we are aware of the larger races, yet don't hear about or take the time to learn about the smaller ones. As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or topics you'd like to share, you may contact us via social media or by emailing ncdeepdive at gmail.com. If you found value in this episode, we'd love for you to subscribe, review, and share it to help us in our mission to help voters make their most informed choices. Thank you for engaging with this episode and becoming a more informed citizen. Democracy is a team sport. Together we make democracy work and our communities a better place to work, play, and live. Your vote matters, your voice matters, you matter. Until next time, my friends, Namaste. The love and light in me sees and honors the love and light in you.