Samantha C. Mobley, the incumbent district court judge for District 26, Seat 19, is seeking reelection on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot. Mobley, a Democrat, has held the seat since Jan. 1, 2023.
Candidate information
- Office sought: North Carolina District Court Judge, District 26, Seat 19
- Party: Democratic
- Ballot status: Certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady election data
- Hometown: Born in Boston, Massachusetts; grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, according to her campaign website
- Education: Bachelor's degree in business administration and management from Ursuline College; juris doctor from Charlotte School of Law, according to BallotReady
- Bar admissions: Licensed in North Carolina and the District of Columbia; admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, according to her campaign website
Experience and public service
Mobley won the 2022 Democratic primary on May 17, 2022, defeating Belal Elrahal with 58.3% of the vote (39,257 votes to Elrahal's 28,108), according to Ballotpedia. She ran uncontested in the 2022 general election, receiving 268,599 votes, and assumed office Jan. 1, 2023.
Before taking the bench, Mobley served as a magistrate and 26th District judicial official starting in 2013, according to BallotReady. In that role, she said on her campaign website she presided over emergency involuntary commitments, landlord-tenant disputes, small claims, traffic cases, truancy matters and weddings.
She worked as an assistant manager at Bank of America from 1999 to 2006 and as a manager at JDRF International from 2007 to 2010, according to BallotReady. She also serves as a volunteer board member of the Mecklenburg Bar Foundation and participated in the Mecklenburg County Bar's Bar Leadership Institute, according to her campaign website.
On the issues
Judicial approach: Mobley said on her campaign website that she approaches each case by considering the individual, the facts and the law to determine the appropriate resolution. She said she recognizes the importance of fairness, consistency and community safety.
Courtroom experience: As a district court judge, Mobley said she has presided over child support, criminal misdemeanor, divorce, domestic violence, domestic violence protective order, DWI, felony probable cause, first appearance, involuntary commitment, landlord-tenant appeal, no-contact order and private warrant cases, according to her campaign website.
Personal motivation: Mobley said on her campaign website that she grew up in a home that provided foster care for children experiencing challenges, including children whose parents suffered from drug or alcohol addiction and children who had experienced physical abuse, severe neglect or sexual abuse. She said this experience sparked her interest in the legal system and the courts.
The Lake Norman Beacon did not receive a questionnaire response from this candidate. This profile is based on publicly available information from the candidate's campaign website and Ballotpedia.
