Christine Walczyk

Christine Walczyk
Judge of the Wake County District Court
Incumbent
Assumed office
2007
Preceded byDonna Stroud
Personal details
Born (1971-02-09) February 9, 1971 (age 55)
Raleigh, North Carolina
PartyDemocratic
EducationBoston College
University of North Carolina School of Law (JD)

Christine Walczyk (born February 9, 1971) an American judge and political candidate who has served as a North Carolina District Court judge in Wake County since 2007. A former family-law attorney, she has served as the lead judge of the Wake County Family Court and later as a lead civil court judge. In 2026, Walczyk became the Democratic nominee for Seat 3 on the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Early life and education

Walczyk was born in 1971 in Raleigh, North Carolina. She moved to Florida as a child before returning to North Carolina in 1992. She received her bachelor's degree from Boston College and her Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1995.

Walczyk practiced business, criminal, and juvenile law with Grafstein & Walczyk, P.L.L.C. in Raleigh. In 2002, she was elected to the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys as the chairwoman of publications, where she also supported their annual homeless drive.

North Carolina judicial service

Wake County District Court

Incumbent Wake County District Court judge Alice Stubbs joined a private practice and retired from her seat in January 2006. Following the vacancy, approximately 3,700 lawyers in the judicial bar serving Wake County voted by secret ballot to select three candidates for Governor Mike Easley's consideration for a temporary appointment. Walczyk received the most votes in the election, but Easley appointed Assistant District Attorney Vince Rozier instead, one of the other three finalists.

In 2007, Governor Easley subsequently appointed Walczyk to the high-traffic courtroom position for Wake County, where she replaced judge Donna Stroud, who had been elected to the North Carolina Court of Appeals. After her appointment, Walczyk had her first election in the 2008 North Carolina judicial elections, where she ran to defend her new seat against challenger Walter Rand, who was endorsed by the Wake County Republican Party. Walcyzk won 58% to 44%. She was unopposed in her 2012, 2016, and 2020 re-election campaigns, and has served as a district court trial judge in Wake County for 19 years since her initial appointment.

Campaign for North Carolina Court of Appeals

Walczyk is campaigning for Seat 3 on the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 2026 North Carolina judicial elections. She faced fellow Democrat James Whalen, an attorney for Justice Allison Riggs during the 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court election challenges, in the primary for the seat. Whalen argued that Democratic Party judicial candidates needed to be more partisan, while Walczyk highlighted her long experience. During the primary campaign, she received the endorsement of the North Carolina Black Political Caucus. She also received endorsements from former Chief Justice Cheri Beasley and former Justice Robin Hudson. The News & Observer Editorial Board supported her in the Democratic primary over Weldon, writing that Walczyk "brings more of the relevant experience that would meet the daily demands of the appellate court." Walczyk won the election with 62.35% of the vote to Whalen's 37.65%.

She will face Superior Court judge Craig Collins, a Republican who won his primary, in the general election in November.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Voters Guide: November 2008 Elections, Christine Walczyk". The News and Observer. October 25, 2008. p. 136. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Meet Christine". Christine Walczyk. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 "Raleigh lawyer to be District Court judge". The News and Observer. January 31, 2007. p. 15. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  4. ↑ "N.C. Association of Women Attorneys elect directors". Rocky Mount Telegram. October 8, 2001. p. 27. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Women attorneys hold fund drive for homeless". News and Record. March 25, 1998. p. 60. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
  6. 1 2 George, Cindy (January 12, 2006). "Six lawyers compete for judgeship". The News and Observer. p. 4. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  7. ↑ George, Cindy (January 27, 2006). "Judgeship finalists picked". The News and Observer. pp. B3. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  8. ↑ George, Cindy (February 10, 2006). "Easley names 2 as district judges". The News and Observer. pp. B3. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Dist. Court Judge Dist. 10 (Walczyk Seat)". The News and Observer. November 6, 2008. p. 11. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Christine Walczyk". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  11. 1 2 Henkel, Clayton (March 4, 2026). "Wake District Court Judge Christine Walczyk wins Dem primary in NC Court of Appeals contest • NC Newsline". NC Newsline. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 "2026 Court Race Already Underway by Sophia Bailly". The News and Observer. July 13, 2025. pp. A21. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  13. ↑ Ramsey, Mary (January 30, 2026). "Influential Black Political Caucus declines to endorse embattled Rep. Cunningham". The Charlotte Observer. pp. A4. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  14. ↑ Carroll, Diamond (January 26, 2026). "Black Political Caucus announces 2026 primary endorsements". WCNC.
  15. ↑ The Editorial Board (February 20, 2026). "Endorsements: Our choices in NC Court of Appeals 2026 primaries". The News and Observer. pp. B15. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Primary". The Fayetteville Observer. March 6, 2026. pp. A2. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Primaries". The Enquirer-Journal. March 7, 2026. pp. A4. Retrieved June 10, 2026.