2 candidates are tracked for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 35, Seat 1 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Eric F. Eller and Andrew Brooks. Candidate information follows official Watauga County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Eric F. Eller (Republican) and Andrew Brooks (Democratic) meet on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 35, Seat 1. Voters across Avery, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga and Yancey counties 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).
Trial court judge. A trial judge presides over criminal and civil cases at the first level: bail and pleas, motions, trials, sentencing and civil judgments. Judges are bound by state law and appellate precedent and are barred by judicial conduct rules from campaigning on how they would rule. Most states elect trial judges on a nonpartisan ballot; the term and the courts a judge may sit on vary by state.
North Carolina › Watauga County › North Carolina District Court Judge, District 35, Seat 1
Republican
Eric F. Eller is an attorney based in Boone, North Carolina who has practiced criminal and traffic defense in Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Watauga, Wilkes and Yadkin counties since 1995, per his law office's website. He is a graduate of Appalachian State University and Wake Forest University School of Law and served in the U.S. Army before an honorable discharge in 1987, per the same source. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Democratic
Andrew Brooks is a candidate for District Court Judge serving Watauga, Avery, Mitchell, Yancey and Madison counties, per his campaign site. Brooks moved to Boone, North Carolina from Michigan in 2005, returned after law school in Charleston, South Carolina to begin practicing law in 2013, and opened his own firm, High Country Family Law, in 2023, per the same source.
Who is running for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 35, Seat 1 in 2026?
2 candidates are tracked for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 35, Seat 1 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Eric F. Eller and Andrew Brooks. Candidate information follows official Watauga County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
When is the North Carolina District Court Judge, District 35, Seat 1 election in North Carolina?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for North Carolina are on the North Carolina election hub at theballotbrief.com.
How do I see my exact Watauga County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.
Candidate roster from official Watauga County and state election office filings. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.
Cross-check with the official North Carolina election office, or see the full Watauga County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.
5 tracked races in Watauga County, North Carolina. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.