NC Supreme Court Candidate Sarah Stevens
A month from today, on Tuesday, Nov. 3, North Carolinians will pick who sits on our state’s highest court. As we told you back in August, a farm-friendly judiciary has a tremendous impact on farmers. When judges interpret the law as written, free from fear or favor and without legislating from the bench, producers gain the predictability they need to operate with confidence and plan for a stronger future.
That’s why we’re taking a closer look today at former NC State Representative Sarah Stevens, candidate for the NC Supreme Court.
Stevens brings a legislative record agriculture already knows well. She represented House District 90, which includes Surry and Wilkes counties, from 2009 to 2026 – a district where agriculture is a major economic driver. According to data from our sister organization, the NC Ag Partnership Foundation, agriculture in HD-90 generates $2.47 billion in total economic output, supports 8,676 jobs, and contributes $619.7 million in wages and salaries. Food-production agriculture alone accounts for over $1 billion of that output.
As a state representative, Stevens also chaired the House Elections Law Committee and one of the NC House’s three standing Judiciary Committees. On the issues that matter most to our farmers, her record is clear: she voted to override then-Gov. Cooper’s veto of the 2023 Farm Act, and supported the 2026 Farm Act, which passed the House 110-2.
We were glad to host former Rep. Stevens at our Sixth Annual Judicial Event in August, where she joined sitting justices and Court of Appeals judges for a substantive conversation on the role of the courts in protecting property rights and regulatory fairness for North Carolina farmers.
It’s worth remembering why this matters. Last October, the NC Supreme Court ruled 5-2 that NCDEQ overstepped by adding new conditions to animal-waste permits covering roughly 2,000 hog, cattle, and poultry farms without going through the required rulemaking process – a major win for the NC Farm Bureau and for farmers across the state. Writing for the majority, Justice Trey Allen explained that the rulemaking process “is not a pointless bureaucratic exercise” but “an important check on the regulatory power of administrative agencies.”
Meanwhile, Justice Anita Earls, Stevens’ opponent in this race, dissented from that ruling, calling the Farm Bureau’s reasoning “unsound,” and argued that the types of permits at issue in the case did “not require notice-and-comment rulemaking.” For farmers whose livelihoods depend on these decisions, the opportunity to weigh in is no small matter.
Remember, North Carolina has a history of razor-thin margins for statewide judicial races. The 2020 Chief Justice race was decided by only 4 votes per county and the 2024 Associate Justice race by just 0.276 votes per precinct. Rural and farm voices can make a big difference.
Recent polling suggests we are in for yet another close race this year. A September High Point University poll found Earls leading Stevens 46% to 44% among likely voters. This and other recent surveys show many voters are still undecided.
This year’s NC Supreme Court race is one rural voters and farmers should be paying close attention to. To learn more about Sarah Stevens and where she stands on the issues, visit sarahstevensnc.com.
A reminder: Next Friday, Oct. 9, is the deadline to register to vote in this election. Double-check your registration and make a plan to vote online here.