Rep. Sarah Stevens, a nine-term Republican who represents Surry and Wilkes counties, has decided she is done trying to juggle governing and campaigning. On Tuesday, she filed her resignation and will leave the N.C. House next Tuesday at noon so she can focus full time on her 2026 bid to unseat Democratic Justice Anita Earls on the state Supreme Court.
In a resignation letter made public Tuesday, Stevens wrote that “it has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve the people of North Carolina in the House of Representatives,” and explained that she would step away to concentrate on the Supreme Court race, according to The News & Observer.
Stevens first announced her Supreme Court campaign in April 2025 and has served in the General Assembly since 2009, holding leadership roles on judiciary and elections-related committees, according to AP News.
Supporters and critics
Reaction came fast from both parties. Anderson Clayton, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, accused Stevens of “abandoning her constituents so that she can raise dirty money from lobbyists and avoid accountability,” while North Carolina GOP chair Jason Simmons praised her as a “conservative champion.” The News & Observer also noted that Stevens previously received a warning from the State Board of Elections after she accepted, then returned, donations from registered lobbyists.
What’s next for her seat
State law spells out how the vacancy will be handled. When a General Assembly seat opens up, the governor appoints the person recommended by the appropriate party executive committee, so local Republican officials will choose a nominee to serve out Stevens’ unexpired term, according to the North Carolina General Assembly.
Why the court race matters
The stakes for the 2026 Supreme Court race are significant. Groups that track court composition point out that the current partisan lineup on the high court already tilts Republican, making the single Supreme Court seat on the 2026 ballot a closely watched pickup opportunity, according to Alliance for Justice.
Candidate filing for the November 2026 judicial elections does not open until December, and primary contests are set for March, so Stevens and her opponent will have months to define their matchup before ballots are finalized, according to AP News.
