Durham County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
19 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 17 Durham County races, led by the Durham County District Attorney contest.
County offices
District AttorneySatana Deberry (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Satana Deberry (Democratic) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Durham County District Attorney.
Satana Deberry Democratic Incumbent
Satana Deberry has been Durham County's district attorney since January 2019, per the Conference of District Attorneys' official district page. She previously worked as a defense attorney, as general counsel to the NC Department of Health and Human Services, and as executive director of the NC Housing Coalition, per Indy Week and WRAL. She holds a Princeton BA and Duke JD and MBA. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Incumbent Satana Deberry won the March 3 Democratic contest with 61.1 percent and is unopposed in November, per the State Board of Elections certified list and results archive. Prosecutorial District 16 covers Durham County alone. Durham's five county commissioners were all elected in 2024 to concurrent four-year terms, so no commission seats are on the 2026 ballot.
Full race pageSheriffClarence F. Birkhead (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Clarence F. Birkhead (Democratic) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Durham County Sheriff.
Clarence F. Birkhead Democratic Incumbent
Clarence F. Birkhead has been Durham County's sheriff since December 2018 and is seeking a third term, per the sheriff's office official biography. He has more than 40 years in law enforcement, including service as Duke University police chief and Hillsborough police chief.
Incumbent Clarence Birkhead won the March 3 Democratic contest with 85.7 percent and is unopposed in November, per the State Board of Elections certified list and results archive.
Full race pageClerk of Superior CourtAminah Thompson (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Aminah Thompson (Democratic) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Durham County Clerk of Superior Court.
Aminah Thompson Democratic Incumbent
- eCourts modernization and transparency
- Public guardian and public administrator protections
- Plain-language access to justice
Per the campaign site.
About Aminah Thompson
Thompson currently serves as Clerk of Superior Court in Durham County after previously serving as a magistrate judge, per the campaign site. Thompson has implemented court modernization initiatives including eCourts technology and developed plain-language court forms and resources, per the campaign site.
Incumbent Aminah Thompson won the March 3 Democratic contest with 87 percent and is unopposed in November, per the State Board of Elections certified list and results archive.
Full race pageJudges
North Carolina Superior Court Judge, District 16B, Seat 2Myra Griffin (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Myra Griffin Democratic
Myra Griffin earned her political science degree from UNC Chapel Hill and her law degree from North Carolina Central University, per her campaign website. She served as an Assistant Attorney General representing the North Carolina Industrial Commission, was appointed Deputy Commissioner in 2005, and was appointed to the Full Commission by Governor Roy Cooper in 2018, per the same source.
Myra Griffin (Democratic) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina Superior Court Judge, District 16B, Seat 2. This seat covers part of Durham County, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A; only voters in that part of the Superior Court district see this race. North Carolina judicial races have been partisan since the 2018 court reorganization. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026).
Full race pageNorth Carolina Superior Court Judge, District 16B, Seat 3Josephine Kerr Davis (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Josephine Kerr Davis Democratic Incumbent
Josephine Kerr Davis currently serves as a Superior Court Judge for Durham County, elected to the seat in 2018 and assuming office in January 2024, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch directory. Davis has practiced law for more than fifteen years, including as an assistant public defender in Fayetteville, an assistant attorney general, and an assistant district attorney, per IndyWeek. Her josephineforjustice.com domain is not currently reachable, so it is not linked. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Josephine Kerr Davis (Democratic) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina Superior Court Judge, District 16B, Seat 3. This seat covers part of Durham County, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A; only voters in that part of the Superior Court district see this race. North Carolina judicial races have been partisan since the 2018 court reorganization. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026).
Full race pageNorth Carolina District Court Judge, District 16, Seat 1Dave Hall (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Dave Hall Democratic Incumbent
Dave Hall is a sitting District Court Judge for District 16, Seat 1, in Durham County, seeking re-election in the 2026 general election, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch.
Dave Hall (Democratic) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 16, Seat 1. Voters across Durham County vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. North Carolina judicial races have been partisan since the 2018 court reorganization. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026).
Full race pageNorth Carolina District Court Judge, District 16, Seat 2Doretta L. Walker (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Doretta L. Walker Democratic Incumbent
Doretta L. Walker serves as a District Court judge in Durham County, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch directory. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Doretta L. Walker (Democratic) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 16, Seat 2. Voters across Durham County vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. North Carolina judicial races have been partisan since the 2018 court reorganization. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026).
Full race pageNorth Carolina District Court Judge, District 16, Seat 3Kevin E. Jones (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Kevin E. Jones Democratic Incumbent
Kevin E. Jones currently serves as a Durham County District Court Judge, first elected in 2018 and now serving his second term, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch directory. Jones is a Vanderbilt University graduate who came to North Carolina through Teach for America in 1997 before earning his law degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law, working as an Assistant Public Defender and later opening his own law office. His prior campaign domain no longer resolves, so it is not linked. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Kevin E. Jones (Democratic) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 16, Seat 3. Voters across Durham County vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. North Carolina judicial races have been partisan since the 2018 court reorganization. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026).
Full race pageNorth Carolina District Court Judge, District 16, Seat 4Dorothy Hairston Mitchell (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Dorothy Hairston Mitchell Democratic Incumbent
Dorothy Hairston Mitchell is a District Court Judge for District 16, Seat 4, in Durham County, appointed by Governor Roy Cooper in December 2021, filling the seat formerly held by Judge Brian Wilks. She earned her B.A. and J.D. from North Carolina Central University and serves as a Clinical Associate Professor at the North Carolina Central University School of Law and Legal Director at the Center for Child & Family Health, having previously worked as an Assistant Public Defender in Durham County, per the North Carolina Governor's office. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Dorothy Hairston Mitchell (Democratic) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 16, Seat 4. Voters across Durham County vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. North Carolina judicial races have been partisan since the 2018 court reorganization. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026).
Full race pageNorth Carolina District Court Judge, District 16, Seat 5Christy A. Hamilton Malott (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Christy A. Hamilton Malott Democratic
Christy A. Hamilton Malott works as a Guardian ad Litem Attorney Advocate with the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch directory, and is a candidate for Durham District Court Judge. Malott earned degrees from Guilford College, Duke University and North Carolina Central School of Law and has twenty years of legal experience, including service on the Durham County Bar Association board, per her campaign site.
Christy A. Hamilton Malott (Democratic) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 16, Seat 5. Voters across Durham County vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. North Carolina judicial races have been partisan since the 2018 court reorganization. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026).
Full race pageNorth Carolina District Court Judge, District 16, Seat 6Amanda L. Maris (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Amanda L. Maris Democratic Incumbent
Amanda L. Maris is a Durham County District Court Judge, first appointed by Governor Roy Cooper in July 2017 and retained by voters in 2018 and 2022, per her campaign site. Maris has focused her work on issues affecting youth and families in the court system and is seeking re-election in 2026.
Amanda L. Maris (Democratic) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 16, Seat 6. Voters across Durham County vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. North Carolina judicial races have been partisan since the 2018 court reorganization. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026).
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Durham County is split across 6 North Carolina Senate and House districts.
Find your districts by addressNorth Carolina Senate: 2 districtsDistricts 20, 22
North Carolina Senate District 20Natalie S. Murdock (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Natalie S. Murdock Democratic Incumbent
Natalie S. Murdock is the Democratic state senator for North Carolina Senate District 20, representing Chatham and Durham counties, currently in her third or later term, per the North Carolina General Assembly. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.
Natalie S. Murdock (Democratic) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot; Natalie S. Murdock is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. Party nominees were chosen at the March 3 primary (a second primary is held only when no one reaches 30 percent plus one); unaffiliated candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageNorth Carolina Senate District 22Sophia Chitlik (D) · LaKeshia M. Alston (R)
Sophia Chitlik Democratic Incumbent
- Access to high-quality publicly funded education starting at age three and expanded community college and job training
- Protecting reproductive rights and expanding affordable childcare
- Expanding the affordable housing supply and investing in clean energy
Per the campaign site.
About Sophia Chitlik
Chitlik is a North Carolina state senator representing Durham's District 22, per the campaign site. She previously worked as a political appointee in the Obama administration's Department of Labor and later served as chief of staff and chief operating officer at nonprofit organizations, per the campaign site. She graduated magna cum laude from New York University, per the campaign site.
LaKeshia M. Alston Republican
LaKeshia M. Alston is the Republican candidate for North Carolina Senate District 22 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.
Sophia Chitlik (Democratic), LaKeshia M. Alston (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Sophia Chitlik is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. Party nominees were chosen at the March 3 primary (a second primary is held only when no one reaches 30 percent plus one); unaffiliated candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageNorth Carolina House: 4 districtsDistricts 2, 29, 30, 31
North Carolina House District 2Ray Jeffers (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Ray Jeffers Democratic Incumbent
- Support broadband expansion
- Support education funding at all levels
- Support agriculture and family farms
Per the campaign site.
About Ray Jeffers
Ray Jeffers served 12 years as a Person County Commissioner before running for North Carolina House District 2, covering Person and Durham counties, per the campaign site.
Ray Jeffers (Democratic) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot; Ray Jeffers is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. Party nominees were chosen at the March 3 primary (a second primary is held only when no one reaches 30 percent plus one); unaffiliated candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageNorth Carolina House District 29Vernetta Alston (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Vernetta Alston Democratic Incumbent
Vernetta Alston is an attorney who represents North Carolina House District 29 in Durham, serving as House Democratic Conference Chair, per the North Carolina General Assembly. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.
Vernetta Alston (Democratic) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot; Vernetta Alston is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. Party nominees were chosen at the March 3 primary (a second primary is held only when no one reaches 30 percent plus one); unaffiliated candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageNorth Carolina House District 30Ray Ubinger (Libertarian) · Marcia Morey (D)
Ray Ubinger Libertarian
Ray Ubinger is the Libertarian candidate for North Carolina House District 30 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.
Marcia Morey Democratic Incumbent
- Support access to quality health care
- Support economic opportunity and fair wages
- Support public safety in communities
Per the campaign site.
About Marcia Morey
Marcia Morey has represented North Carolina House District 30 in Durham County since Morey's appointment in 2017, per the campaign site. Morey previously worked in the judicial system and was a co-captain of the U.S. Olympic swim team at the 1976 Montreal Games, per the campaign site.
Ray Ubinger (Libertarian), Marcia Morey (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Marcia Morey is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. Party nominees were chosen at the March 3 primary (a second primary is held only when no one reaches 30 percent plus one); unaffiliated candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageNorth Carolina House District 31Zack Hawkins (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Zack Hawkins Democratic Incumbent
Zack Hawkins is the Democratic state representative for North Carolina House District 31 in Durham County, currently serving his fourth term, per the North Carolina General Assembly. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.
Zack Hawkins (Democratic) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot; Zack Hawkins is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. Party nominees were chosen at the March 3 primary (a second primary is held only when no one reaches 30 percent plus one); unaffiliated candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageSee your full ballot
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
North Carolina nominees were set by the March 3 primary; a candidate clearing 30 percent plus one avoids a second primary, and unopposed nominees still print on the November 3 ballot, per the State Board of Elections.
Who is on the ballot in Durham County, North Carolina on November 3, 2026?
Durham County sample ballot 2026: see where the county sheriff and clerk of superior court candidates stand on schools and jobs. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in North Carolina?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for North Carolina are listed on the North Carolina election hub. North Carolina election hub →
How do I see my exact Durham County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
Sample ballot by ZIP code in Durham County10 ZIP codes
Candidate roster last updated Sep 27, 2026 from official election sources.