Anita Earls raises 15 times more than Republican opponent in NC Supreme Court race
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Earls raised over $1.3M, about 15× more than Stevens (~$82.5K).
- Most donations were in-state; Earls median $50, Stevens median $500.
- Past fundraising hasn’t always predicted winners in NC court races.
Justice Anita Earls, one of two Democrats on the North Carolina Supreme Court, has raised over 15 times more than her Republican opponent in the last filing period as she seeks reelection to the bench.
Campaign finance reports released this week show that Earls brought in over $1.3 million in donations through the last half of 2025.
Her opponent, state Rep. Sarah Stevens, raised about $82,500 over the same period.
In a statement, Anderson Clayton, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, said the fundraising shows that “Earls’ momentum in this campaign is undeniable.”
“It’s evident that everyday North Carolinians support Justice Earls’ vision for a court that protects our rights and freedoms and delivers equal justice for all,” Clayton said. “... The only way Sarah Stevens will be able to keep up with Justice Earls’ grassroots momentum is by relying on big money PACs to bail her out at the last minute.”
In a statement to The News & Observer, Paul Shumaker, an adviser to Stevens’ campaign, said that Earls’ fundraising lead was inconsequential.
“It should be no surprise given the national liberal establishment would be promoting her race nationally,” he said. “Liberals like Earls have consistently outraised their Republican opponents, while Republicans have consistently beat them at the ballot box.”
In 2022, Republicans won two seats on the Supreme Court despite raising less than their Democratic opponents.
But in 2024, Democratic Justice Allison Riggs narrowly beat Republican Jefferson Griffin after significantly outraising him. He then spent six months attempting to overturn the results in court before ultimately conceding the race.
Neither Earls nor Stevens faces a primary this year, so their campaigns will be able to save money for the general election in November.
Roughly 85% of Earls’ donations this period came from in-state, with the next-most-common states for donors being California, New York and Massachusetts.
As for Stevens, 95% of her donations came from in-state — with the rest coming from Florida or South Carolina.
The median amount donors gave to Earls’ campaign was $50, while the median donation to Stevens was $500.
Going into 2026, Earls had over $1.5 million in cash-on-hand, while Stevens had just under $200,000.
Last month, the State Board of Elections sent a warning letter to Stevens after she was accused of violating the law by accepting campaign contributions from two lobbyists.
While lobbyists are allowed to donate to political campaigns, they are not permitted to donate to sitting lawmakers — even if they are running for a different office, like Stevens is.
Stevens returned the contested contributions and the board said it found “insufficient evidence of an intentional violation.”
This story was originally published February 12, 2026 at 12:44 PM with the headline "Anita Earls raises 15 times more than Republican opponent in NC Supreme Court race."
