North Carolina Appeals Court Judge, Seat 1

John Arrowood is one of the competitive targets YALLvote has identified in North Carolina. Click here to donate to John Arrowood.

Down Home NC endorses Judges Toby Hampson, John Arrowood, and Christine Walczyk for NC Court of Appeals

John was the first out LGBTQ+ person elected statewide in North Carolina!

Administrative Law Judge Michael C. Byrne is running for the North Carolina Court of Appeals. He grew up in Wake County and earned his B.A. in English with university and departmental honors from North Carolina State University. He earned his law degree from Campbell University, where he served as editor of the Campbell Law Observer. After several years of trial and appellate practice in North Carolina’s state and federal courts, Michael focused his law practice on representing law enforcement officers and public employees. He represented clients before the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), Superior Court, Court of Appeals, and Supreme Court. Between 2005 and 2020, Michael appeared in more than 270 cases before OAH and served as a referral attorney for multiple law enforcement organizations. Michael litigated more than 20 cases before the North Carolina Court of Appeals as an attorney, including cases involving law enforcement and correctional officers who were wrongfully terminated or otherwise disciplined. Cases Michael won on behalf of North Carolina law enforcement are regularly cited in similar cases by OAH and the Court of Appeals. He also submitted amicus, or friend of the court, briefs in Court of Appeals and Supreme Court cases on behalf of public employee and law enforcement groups. In June 2020, Michael was sworn in as an Administrative Law Judge. In just over six years on the bench, he has issued more than 400 decisions. Michael writes his decisions himself rather than delegating this important responsibility to others. His top priority is providing a fair hearing to every party who comes before him. Ten of Michael’s decisions have been appealed to the North Carolina Court of Appeals. All ten were unanimously affirmed by the Court of Appeals, most recently in June 2026. Michael’s judicial philosophy can be summarized by the one-sentence directive the Chief Judge at OAH gave him when he began serving there: “Get it right.” He believes passionately in due process, fairness, giving all sides an opportunity to be heard, and deciding cases strictly according to the law, without fear or favor. Michael lives in Cary with his wife, Brigette, and their dog, Tilda.

Reelection to NC Court of Appeals

Judge John Arrowood has served on the North Carolina Court of Appeals since 2017 following a distinguished legal career in private practice and public service. Throughout his career, he has built a reputation for integrity, professionalism, and careful application of the law. As the first openly LGBTQ person elected to statewide office in the South, Arrowood has also helped broaden representation within North Carolina’s judiciary while remaining focused on impartial justice for every person who comes before the court.

Arrowood’s decades of legal experience have prepared him to hear a wide range of complex cases affecting North Carolina families, businesses, and communities. His service on the Court of Appeals reflects a commitment to judicial independence, fairness, and ensuring that every case is decided on the law and the facts before the court.

NCAAT in Action is proud to endorse Judge John Arrowood because of his experience, integrity, and unwavering commitment to equal justice. His belief that every North Carolinian deserves to be heard and treated fairly under the law reflects the values that guide our work to build a more inclusive and representative democracy.

Decades of trial work: 272 cases as a lawyer in the Office of Administrative Hearings and more than 20 cases in the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.

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John Arrowood was born in Burnsville and raised in rural Yancey County until the death of his parents at age fifteen, after which he moved to Caldwell County to live with his brother. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Catawba College, where he received the prestigious Whitener Award, and went on to earn his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He currently serves as a Judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals, with prior experience as a Special Superior Court Judge, partner at James, McElroy & Diehl, PA, certified mediator, and active community leader through his involvement with organizations such as the Mint Museum and the Charlotte Urban Ministry Center.

With extensive experience across North Carolina’s legal system, Judge Arrowood has built a career dedicated to public service...