Democrats: Judge primaries the GOP canceled must be restored

RALEIGH (AP) The Democratic Party in North Carolina says a law by the Republican-dominated legislature to cancel judicial primaries this May is “entirely unprecedented,” so a federal judge must restore those elections.

Attorneys for the state party and several county parties filed a brief Jan. 17 explaining further why they want the law eliminating the primaries blocked while their lawsuit continues. The legislative leaders and state officials last week filed their own arguments against the Democrats’ request for a preliminary injunction.

Democratic lawyers John Wallace and Eddie Speas wrote that canceling the primaries causes irreversible harm by thwarting the Democrats’ constitutional right to select the favored candidates of their voters for trial and appellate courts. Without a primary, judicial candidate filing would begin in June.

The judge will hear oral arguments next week.