North Carolina Court of Appeals Judge Barbara Jackson said today that she will run for the state Supreme Court seat held by Justice Edward Thomas Brady.

Jackson and Brady are both Republicans. Brady has not yet announced whether he will run for re-election, but Jackson's announcement suggests he won't. It would be highly unusual for a sitting Court of Appeals judge to challenge a justice from her own party.

Court of Appeals Judge Bob Hunter, a Democrat, has said he plans to run for the seat, as well.

Judicial races are technically nonpartisan in North Carolina. The candidate's political party does not appear on the ballot.

Jackson was first elected to the appeals court in 2004. She previously served as general counsel for the Department of Labor and as associate general counsel for former Gov. Jim Martin, a Republican. She also clerked for then-Associate Justice Burley Mitchell, a Democrat, on the N.C. Supreme Court.

Lawyer Bob Hunter urged a judge to help clarify a law that he says has allowed outside groups, such as Fairjudges.net, to wrongly influence elections by making excessive campaign contributions.

Using a lawsuit brought by Judge Ann Marie Calabria in 2006, Hunter reopened the issue of whether Fairjudges acted appropriately in their support of a candidate who beat Calabria in the 2006 election, reports Titan Barksdale.

Hunter told Judge James Spencer Jr. Thursday that a court ruling in Calabria's favor can help protect the electoral process in North Carolina.

"You can say the flood gates are wide open or you can say under these circumstances, this was an illegal contribution [by Fairjudges]," said Hunter, who is a candidate for the N.C. Court of Appeals. "We need a judge to tell us what the law is."

In 2006, Calabria wanted the State Board of Elections to investigate whether the state Democratic Party was working with Fairjudges to help her opponent, Associate Justice Robin Hudson. The board recently did not take any action against Fairjudges after a report of the investigation was finished.

The report said that the organizers of Fairjudges had an agenda and likely coordinated with an employee of the state Democratic Party to help push Fairjudges' agenda during the 2006 election. By law, groups such as Fairjudges are prohibited from coordinating with parties, but a state elections board member says the law has some loopholes.

Susan Nichols, special deputy attorney general representing the board, said the lawsuit is moot because Hudson has already been declared the winner of the election. And the State Board of Elections has decided against taking action against Fairjudges.

Spencer will rule on the case at a later date.

A number of notables were in the audience at the Wake County Republican Party's annual President's Day Dinner tonight.

U.S. Sens. Richard Burr and Elizabeth Dole; U.S. House candidates B.J. Lawson and Augustus Cho; state Sens. Richard Stevens and Neal Hunt; Reps. Nelson Dollar and Marilyn Avila; and state House candidates Bryan Gossage, Eric Weaver and Paul Terrell.

Also at the dinner: Gubernatorial candidates Fred Smith, Pat McCrory and Bob Orr; lieutenant governor candidates Greg Dority and Bob Pittenger; and attorney general candidate Bob Crumley.

A few judges and judicial candidates were also at the audience: state Supreme Court Justice Bob Edmunds, Appeals Court judges Ann Marie Calabria and Donna Stroud, Appeals Court candidates John Tyson and Bob Hunter, Wake County District Court Judge Jennifer Green.

And a few local officials: Wake County commissioners Kenn Gardner and Joe Bryan and Register of Deeds Laura Riddick. Wake GOP chairman David Robinson came back to the podium later to note that he had left omitted "an individual who is most likely armed" — Wake Sheriff Donnie Harrison.

Another noted guest was in the audience: Former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms' wife, Dot.

The loudest applause of the night went to Helms, Harrison and Avila, the former county chairwoman.