Buncombe County Commissioner Martin Moore files to run for NC Court of Appeals

ASHEVILLE – Buncombe County Commissioner and Asheville lawyer Martin Moore filed his candidacy for North Carolina Court of Appeals Dec. 4, the first day of 2024 election filing in the state.

Moore, a Democrat, is running for the seat held by Republican Hunter Murphy, who has held the position since 2017. Murphy, along with Republican Chris Freeman, are running for the seat. The Citizen Times reached out to Murphy’s chambers.

Moore, 35, defeated Republican Robert Pressley to win the commission seat in 2022.

“It feels like a really important time in North Carolina,” Moore told the Citizen Times Dec. 4. “Our courts matter more than ever. I think that people are seeing firsthand what having quality judges on the bench means.”

Director of Western Carolina University Public Policy Institute Chris Cooper told the Citizen Times Dec. 4 that Moore has “a puncher’s chance.”

Moore has experience as an elected official, with the legal system and on campaigns that make him a competitive candidate, Cooper said. His election will likely be determined by the top of the ticket in a presidential and gubernatorial year.

“The bigger statewide tie will probably end up taking this,” Cooper said. “If it’s a good year for Democrats, it’s a good year for Moore.”

Moore said that he’s “optimistic” about his chances, pointing to his experience flipping the commission seat.

The state’s appellate court reviews proceedings in civil and criminal cases tried in district or superior court, making decisions about questions of law. Judges on the court are elected to serve eight-year terms.

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Moore would not comment on any of the cases he might see, saying that it would be improper as a potential judge to prematurely submit his opinion.

“My philosophy generally is going to be to review each case on the merits,” he said. “I am not going to lock myself into any specific view on the law or a judicial philosophy, traditionally, but I am committed to reviewing every single case, and looking at what are just outcomes in every circumstance.”

Moore would be the only representative from Western North Carolina on the state Court of Appeals.

“The Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court in this state have only become whiter and less diverse,” state senator Julie Mayfield told the Citizen Times Dec. 4. Mayfield endorsed Moore, who is Black, during the conversation.

“Continuing to have racial diversity on the courts matters a lot. That brings different views, different experiences. It makes the bench stronger.”

In the county, Moore serves on committees that work on early childhood development, criminal justice, juvenile crime prevention and sewage. He also participates in a committee that reviews Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College requests for capital investments in college facilities.

Moore earned endorsements from N.C. Supreme Court Justices Anita Earls and Allison Riggs, who are both Democrats, according to a Dec. 4 news release. Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller and Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara also endorsed Moore.

If Moore wins the election, he will be the third county commissioner to vacate their seat on the board. Board Chair Brownie Newman and Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara announced earlier this year that they are not running for reelection. Commissioner Al Whitesides told the Citizen Times Dec. 4 that Moore had his endorsement.

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Whitesides downplayed the potential loss of institutional knowledge on the board, saying that it was most important to have representatives with strong qualities to serve.

Moore’s competitor, Murphy, was censured by the state’s Supreme Court in December 2020 for allowing a “toxic work environment,” according to an Associated Press report.

The state’s Judicial Standards Commission found that Murphy failed to intervene when his executive assistant, a friend of his from high school, bullied, made lewd comments and belittled members of his staff. Murphy asked his friend to resign in 2018.

Mitchell Black covers Buncombe County and health care for the Citizen Times. Email him at mblack@citizentimes.com or follow him on Twitter @MitchABlack. Please help support local journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Buncombe Commissioner Martin Moore running for NC Court of Appeals