While many of our state Chamber’s members may focus their attention on the races for President, Governor and seats in the General Assembly this election cycle, when it comes to decision-making that affects our business climate, North Carolina judicial races also deserve a great deal of attention.  Courts can and frequently do make decisions that affect the liability of businesses in areas such as contract law, tax policy, workers’ compensation and others.  Decisions from our state’s Courts often impact the cost of doing business here, which means they have a bearing on how competitive employers of all sizes are nationally and internationally.  A competitive business climate and competitive employers create jobs for North Carolinians.  

The North Carolina Chamber considers it an important part of its mission to inform our customers about issues and candidates that may impact our state’s business climate and quality of life.  Informing North Carolina businesses and employees about judicial elections is critical because these races are getting virtually no attention from the media and may get lost on the ballot because they are literally much farther down.  Adding to the challenges of making voters aware of judicial candidates and their backgrounds is the fact that they are non-partisan races (no party affiliation is allowed) and publicly financed, which means these candidates are limited in what they can spend on their campaigns and can hardly afford to get information out to voters on the airwaves or in the mail. 

In this e-newsletter, our state Chamber lists the candidates for seats on the North Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, along with major endorsements (state-level) and Web links for biographical and professional information.  As business owners, executives and employees, our Chamber encourages its members to become knowledgeable about judicial candidates and races in order to make an informed decision about North Carolina judges in November.  Our Chamber also encourages employers to share this information with employees. 

Above all else, our Chamber encourages its business members to be engaged this election year.  There are good reasons the high-profile races are getting so much attention: Number one, the elections are coming at a time of struggle and uncertainty for not only North Carolinians, but all Americans.  The U.S. economy is in trouble.  Even our state, which until recently has fared better than others in the face of a national economic downturn, is reeling from an economic crisis that began in the housing market and is now drying up credit and threatening jobs.  Number two, because of the current economic crisis – the likes of which our country hasn’t seen since the Great Depression – outcomes from this year’s elections will have an enormous impact on North Carolina’s future.  Because so much is at stake, North Carolina businesses must be engaged in shaping our state’s future.