A majority of state appellate judges are women.

After Cheri Beasley's win in November, eight of the 15 seats on the N.C. Court of Appeals are held by women. The court is the second-highest in the state after the Supreme Court.

Along with Beasley, the female judges are Linda Stephens, Linda McGee, Wanda Bryant, Ann Marie Calabria, Martha Geer, Barbara Jackson and Donna Stroud.

Although the posts are officially nonpartisan, Calabria, Jackson and Stroud are Republicans; the rest of the judges are Democrats. They are elected statewide.

Two other women, Jewel Ann Farlow and Kristin Ruth, lost campaigns in November.

State Supreme Court justices Robin Hudson, Patricia Timmons-Goodson and Sarah Parker previously served as judges on the Court of Appeals.

Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated Jackson's affiliation.

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.