Michael J Stading
Republican | North Carolina
Candidate Profile*
Originalist (Conditional)
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Michael J Stading
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
Primary
Race
Court of Appeals, Seat 11
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
UNC Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, Bachelor in Science in Business Administration, 2003
Campbell Law School, Buies Creek, NC, Juris Doctorate, 2006
WORK & MILITARY
United States Air Force, Captain, 5
AFFILIATIONS
American Legion, Judge Advocate, Christ Covenant Church
Worship coordinator, Federalist Society, Member
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
District Court Judge, 2019 to present
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
North Carolina Court of Appeals, Presently seeking this office
Race
ENDORSEMENTS*
*These endorsements were received after the deadline and were not considered in the Panel Evaluations and are for additional educational purposes only.
CONSERVATIVE (12)
Dan Bishop
Dan Forest
David Willis
*Durham County Republican Party
Jake Johnson
OTHER (1)
Jason Saine
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (9)
Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson
Congressman Dan Bishop
North Carolina Senator Todd Johnson
North Carolina Senator Jim Perry
North Carolina Senator Tom McInnis
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (2)
Daniel (Dan) Bishop (2018)
State Republican Party Organizations (2021)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (2)
Curtis Hudson "Trey" Allen, III (2021)
Rob Bryan (2021)
OTHER INFORMATION
Michael Stading has served as a judge for the North Carolina 26th Judicial District since 2019.
Stading's campaign website states that his Judicial Values are to "uphold the Constitution, defend law & order, and protect American values"
A post on Stading's Facebook page said that "North Carolinians are tired of activist judges who legislate from the bench. Tar Heel State citizens deserve a judge who will follow the law, protect our freedoms, and uphold the Constitution. Judge Michael Stading is running to defend these values on the North Carolina Court of Appeals."
QUESTIONNAIRE
VALUES
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality that is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I believe that God created the heavens and the earth and that He rules and governs them according to His will. I am first and foremost a child of God and seek to live a life that honors Him in all that I say and do.
What types of pro bono work have you done?
Formerly, as an attorney in private practice, I would frequently give free and reduced price legal services to organizations and individuals in need. As a judge, I contribute to the betterment of the legal profession through work on a professionalism committee, volunteering as a truancy court judge, serving on numerous domestic violence panels and committees, and serving as a treatment court judge.
ABOUT YOU
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
I am dedicated to the country and to the state of North Carolina. I currently serve as a Captain in the United States Air Force. I have served on all sides of the courtroom. I have served as a former prosecutor, former defense counsel, as an attorney representing the fraternal order of police, and now a district court Judge. I am also one of a select few attorneys in the state to hold a criminal law specialist certification. My wide range of experience, dedication to upholding the constitution of our state and country, and my experience in the courtroom make me uniquely qualified to hold the position of Judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals.
Why should the voters choose you?
I am a life long public servant, not a politician. I have worked diligently over the past year a half criss-crossing the state to meet with voters. I have helped numerous conservative judges with their campaigns. I have a proven track record as an elected, conservative judge.
I voted in these primaries and general elections:
2012 Republican Primary 2012 General Election 2014 General Election 2016 General Election 2018 General Election 2020 General Election
I voted in the 2020 Republican primary and 2019 Republican primary and general election but the form is not saving my answer and erases the checkbox when I hit the save button.
JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY
Justices should not interpret the federal and state constitutions as living documents, but should use a textualist and originalist approach to interpretation.
Strongly Agree
What is the proper use of legislative history in interpreting statutory law?
As an elected judicial official, a response to this question could compromise my ability to hear cases regarding this issue on the appellate court. History and tradition are informative.
Which current or past U.S. Supreme Court justice best reflects your judicial philosophy?
Antonin Scalia- He was a textualist informed by original meaning. He is the father of conservative legal thought.
How should a court address the balance between public health and individual freedoms in the time of a pandemic?
As an elected judicial official, a response to this question could compromise my ability to hear cases regarding this issue on the appellate court. As a constitutionalist, individual freedom in very important to me.
In light of the case Bostock v. Clayton County, in which the U.S. Supreme Court interpreted the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include a prohibition on sexual-orientation discrimination, which justice’s opinion most closely aligns with your own opinion?
As an elected judicial official, a response to this question could compromise my ability to hear cases regarding this issue on the appellate court. As a textualist, I align more with the opinion of Justice Alito.
What role (if any) does a judge have in maintaining the separation of church and state?
A judge should follow the Constitution in all cases and adhere to the original meaning at the time of ratification.
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Strongly Agree
When should a judge overturn past court decisions?
When they conflict with the Constitution and the original meaning when ratified.
How should a judge determine which rights are protected by the Constitution even though they are not specifically mentioned?
Our rights are given to us by God and the Constitution was written to protect our individual freedoms, even those not specifically mentioned.
What legal principles should a court consider when evaluating parents’ objection to their child obtaining medical procedures or drugs designed to affirm the child’s desired gender?
As an elected judicial official, a response to this question could compromise my ability to hear cases regarding this issue on the appellate court. As a parent, parental rights are very important to me.
What principles should guide a court’s analysis of whether your state’s constitution gives terminally ill patients a right to assisted suicide?
As an elected judicial official, a response to this question could compromise my ability to hear cases regarding this issue on the appellate court. I value life from conception to death.
Would you describe your judicial philosophy as originalist, living constitutionalist, or something else?
I am a textualist informed by originalism.
