Representative Sarah Stevens (R-Surry) is making headlines as lobbyists donated thousands of dollars to her 2026 North Carolina Supreme Court campaign, which is a violation of North Carolina law.
Stevens announced her run for the state Supreme Court earlier this year. Since then, her campaign fundraising efforts have lagged behind her Democratic opponent, incumbent Justice Anita Earls, who plans to defend her seat in 2026. Contributions to Stevens’ campaign include the wife of Republican Chief Justice Paul Newby donating $3,800 and the husband of Republican Justice Tamara Barringer donating the maximum amount allowed under state law -$6,800. But among these donations are thousands of dollars that prominent lobbyists have donated to her campaign, which breaks North Carolina’s law about lobbyists donating to legislators.
In North Carolina, lobbyists are allowed to donate to Judges and judicial candidates. However, per state law, lobbyists are prohibited from donating to sitting legislators and legislative candidates, to avoid lobbyists influencing lawmakers and the legislation they handle. If Stevens were not a sitting legislator as she runs for State Supreme Court, or the lobbyists were no longer registered as lobbyists at the time of donation, there would be no violation.
However, that is not the case for Stevens, who has been a state legislator for over a decade.
Harold Brubaker was still a registered lobbyist when he made the maximum $6,800 donation to Stevens’ campaign in June. Brubaker, who formerly served in the State House of Representatives, before becoming one of the state’s most notable lobbyists. Andy Munn, another lobbyist, donated $1,500 to Stevens’ campaign.
The matter was covered in outlets such as NC Newsline and The News & Observer, putting the lawmaker and judicial candidate in the spotlight. But, if the donations were to be investigated, the details of the investigation would remain secret due to a law passed in the general assembly years ago that keeps such records from the public. With all the coverage of the possible violation, Stevens has decided to give the money back to the lobbyists. Stevens’ campaign advisor, Paul Shumaker, told WRAL that, though they’re giving the money back, the donations were legal.
However, Bob Hall, former executive director of Democracy North Carolina and a seasoned campaign finance watchdog, says there’s no doubt that the donations were illegal. “It’s a $6,800 contribution, regulated by state law, to a North Carolina candidate’s committee from a registered lobbyist to a sitting state legislator,” Hall has formally asked the Board of Elections to take action on the matter. “The contribution should be declared illegal and forfeited,” Hall wrote to the board.
