NC Court of Appeals Judge, Seat 3

NOTE: You may vote for one. Candidates are presented below in the order they appear on your ballot

Reason for endorsement: Walczyk is impressive and qualified. So is Whalen. But Whalen’s remarkable strengths in voter rights litigation gets the endorsement from me because without voter rights, we’ve got nothing.

James Weldon Whalen

https://www.facebook.com/p/James-Whalen-for-Court-of-Appeals-61578119793032/

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLdeED3Pnug/?hl=en

http://whalenforNC.com

Whalen attended UNC Asheville, where he majored in both math and philosophy. He worked on President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign and served as UNC Asheville’s student body president. After working in the N.C. General Assembly and managing political campaigns, he earned a full scholarship to UNC School of Law, where he graduated with distinction.

While in law school, Whalen interned for U.S. Appeals Court Judge James Wynn, Jr. After graduation, James worked for U.S. District Court Judge Loretta Copeland Biggs in Winston-Salem. He then worked for Josh Stein’s Department of Justice handling high profile appeals. In one case, he fought gerrymandering all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In another, he made sure that sexual abusers can be held accountable when they exploit and control women through revenge porn.

Whalen is now in private practice in Raleigh, where he focuses his work on appellate cases and democratic causes. Whalen fought to stop legislative intrusion into former Governor Roy Cooper’s executive powers. In 2024, Whalen led the largest attorney voter protection program in NC history. And in 2025, he stopped judges from throwing out more than 60,000 votes and ensured that Justice Riggs was rightly installed as a Supreme Court Justice.

“I found my voice early on as a defender of fundamental rights and the rule of law. I’ve pursued that purpose as an attorney, defending our right to vote and have that vote count. Now, I am running to defend the constitution as a member of your Court of Appeals.”

Whalen not only has an extremely impressive record in fighting through the courts for voter rights, his website is also very informative on what the Court of Appeals hears and considers, and how it works. He also fleshes out his other priorities: campaign finance reform, enforcement of ethical guidelines and laws, and an end to gerrymandering.

Whalen has been endorsed by numerous former NC Supreme and District Court Justices, state representatives, and others.

Christine Marie Walczyk

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1020952152

https://www.judgechristine.org/

Go HERE for Walczyk’s video address: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=772460212352139

Walczyk has been serving as a District Court trial judge in Wake County for 18 years and says,  “I am running for the Court of Appeals because I am increasingly concerned about the public’s loss of confidence in the court system, a cornerstone of our democracy.”

Walczyk was born in Raleigh, moved to Florida as a child, and returned to North Carolina in 1992. She graduated magna cum laude from the Boston College Carroll School of Management and completed her Juris Doctor at the University of North Carolina School of Law at Chapel Hill. Walczyk served as Lead Judge in Family Court for many years and currently as Lead Judge in the general civil court.

“Prior to my service as a judge, I practiced law in Raleigh with Grafstein & Walczyk, P.L.L.C. representing small businesses with their transactional and litigation needs. I also represented indigent defendants in criminal cases and juveniles in delinquency matters.” 

Walczyk has been heavily involved in leadership roles for various community organizations and has received numerous awards for her service including but not limited to the National Association of Women Judges, Custody Mediation Advisory Committee, and the North Carolina Bar Association.She is also endorsed by some of North Carolina’s heavy hitters, including NC Supreme Chief Justice, Cheri Beasley, numerous current and former Court of Appeals judges, and various county judges.