NC Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls says breast cancer won’t halt reelection bid
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Justice Anita Earls announced breast cancer treatment but will remain in race.
- Earls said treatment would not affect her ability to work and would continue campaigning
- Political leaders offered public support and encouragement.
Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls, who is seeking reelection this year, said she is undergoing breast cancer treatment but will remain in the race.
“A diagnosis like this requires some serious attention, but if you know me, you know I don’t back down from a tough fight. Whether it’s fighting to uphold the constitutional right to a sound basic education or fighting for my own health, I’m all in,” said Earls in a video posted on social media Tuesday.
Earls, one of only two Democrats on the state Supreme Court, said she was diagnosed with breast cancer late last year, underwent surgery over the holidays and will continue a course of treatment.
“We all know courageous women who have experienced breast cancer and treated it successfully, including some of our most brilliant political leaders here in North Carolina,” she said.
Other North Carolina political leaders who have battled breast cancer include Senate Democratic Leader Sydney Batch and former Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin.
Sarah Stevens, the candidate Earls is facing in her reelection bid, is also a breast cancer survivor. A nine-term Republican state lawmaker who spent nearly half that time as speaker pro tempore, Stevens announced in 2024 that her breast cancer had returned after years in remission. She said her prognosis was positive, the Associated Press reported.
Baldwin and Batch responded to Earls’ video, with Baldwin writing on X to Earls, “As a survivor, I am with you and totally supporting you.”
Batch said in a news release that Earls “has always been a fighter.”
“She’s a fighter for fairness, for justice, and for the people of North Carolina. And now, like so many women across our state, including myself, she faces a personal fight with breast cancer. I have no doubt she will meet this challenge with the same grace and determination that she brings to everything she does,” she wrote.
Batch, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019, said she knew how “disorienting and daunting” such a diagnosis can be. Her diagnosis made her reflect on why she was fighting and reminded her “that the work we do, and the people we do it for, matter more than anything,” she wrote.
“I have no doubt she’s going to kick cancer’s ass while winning reelection to our Supreme Court,” Batch wrote.
Reelection bid
Earls told supporters, donors and North Carolinians that the diagnosis would not “impact my ability to continue serving as your justice on the court. Moreover, my campaign team and I are still working hard. We are not slowing down. We are not losing focus. This is just a bump in the road on the way to a win this November.”
Earls, who worked as a civil rights attorney before joining the court, was elected to the Supreme Court in 2018.
Justice Allison Riggs, the court’s other Democrat, wrote on X on Tuesday that “Earls has been my friend and mentor for nearly 20 years – no one is more committed to serving the people of North Carolina.”
“She and I remain clear-eyed about taking back the courts for justice. And the next step is re-electing Justice Earls in 2026,” she wrote.
Riggs was sworn in last year after a lengthy legal dispute with her Republican challenger, Jefferson Griffin, who refused to concede the race and mounted legal challenges in an effort to invalidate thousands of votes.
Republicans now hold a 5-2 majority on the Supreme Court, having gained the majority when they won two seats in 2022. Three Republican-held seats will be on the ballot in 2028.
Early screening
Earls said she was fortunate that the disease was found early during a routine mammogram.
“It is in part due to early detection that my prognosis is so positive. I know it can be easy to put off doctor’s appointments, but I encourage every woman watching this to get regularly screened for breast cancer,” she said.
About 1 in 8 women will face a breast cancer diagnosis.
This story was originally published January 7, 2026 at 11:39 AM with the headline "NC Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls says breast cancer won’t halt reelection bid."
