North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls has disclosed a recent diagnosis of breast cancer but said she plans to remain in the 2026 judicial race while receiving treatment.
In a statement released Tuesday, Earls said the cancer was detected late last year and that she underwent successful surgery over the holiday period. She is scheduled for additional treatment in January. Medical professionals have given her a positive prognosis.
“This diagnosis is another hurdle to overcome, but let me be clear: I’m staying in the race to keep my seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court,” Earls said. “I’ve never backed down from a tough fight, and I’ll always stand up for the rights of all North Carolinians.”
Earls, who has served on the state Supreme Court since 2019, said she will continue to campaign statewide while managing her treatment and recovery. The high court currently has a 5-2 Republican majority with Earls as one of two Democrats. A progressive, Earls spent more than 30 years as a civil rights attorney, focusing on election policy, school desegregation, and discrimination cases. She has also been outspoken in opposition to recent federal immigration enforcement in the state.
This is not who we are as a nation, and it’s not who we are as North Carolinians. pic.twitter.com/6zJg8iEHZI
— Anita Earls (@Anita_Earls) November 19, 2025
Earls is expected to face Republican state Rep. Sarah Stevens, R-Surry, in the general election for Supreme Court Seat 1 in November 2026. Stevens officially filed to run late in 2025 and has positioned herself as a conservative alternative on the bench. Stevens, a lawyer from Mount Airy, has served in the North Carolina House of Representatives since 2009, including a period as speaker pro tempore from 2017 to 2025.
The Earls‑Stevens contest is one of several statewide races now set for 2026 after candidate filing closed in December. The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, with primary elections set for March 3. Neither Earls nor Stevens faces a primary opponent.