Judges’ races were political this year, thanks to all the out-of-state money that flowed in to support conservative challengers to sitting judges.

Still, North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Robin Hudson successfully fended off a challenge from Superior Court Judge Eric Levinson, by winning 52 percent of the vote to his 48.

The vote percentages were about the same in the race between N.C. Carolina Court of Appeals Judge Sam Ervin IV and his colleague Judge Bob Hunter, in a contest for Justice Mark Martin’s Associate Justice post on the N.C. Supreme Court.

Ervin won.

Martin ran against Superior Court Judge Ola M. Lewis in a contest to serve an eight-year term as Chief Justice of the N.C. Supreme Court. Martin won, with 72 percent of the vote. He was appointed to the position two months ago by Gov. Pat McCrory.

There was one more race for a spot on the State Supreme Court, pitting incumbent Cheri Beasley against challenger Mike Robinson – and that race was about as close as it could be. With all 2.5 million ballots counted, Beasley appears to have come out on top by about 3,000 votes – or eight hundredths of a percentage point.

And in a dizzying 19-way race for the N.C. Court of Appeals, John Tyson was the winner, with 24 percent of the vote.

Meanwhile, voters approved a proposed constitutional amendment to allow criminal defendants in non-capital cases to choose a non-jury trial. North Carolina now joins all other 49 states in offering that option.

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