New North Carolina Governor Formally Ends Judicial Nominating Commission

In his first news conference, new Republican Governor Pat McCrory rescinded the executive order enacted by his predecessor, Democratic Governor Bev Perdue, creating a judicial nominating commission for filling midterm vacancies on the state’s courts. Governor Perdue entered the order in 2011 “in an attempt to reduce partisanship in the selection process” but drew criticism when she declined to use the commission in filling a late-term supreme court vacancy, citing the short time frame.