Douglas McCullough | |
|---|---|
| Judge of theNorth Carolina Court of Appeals | |
| In office January 21, 2011 – April 24, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Cressie Thigpen |
| Succeeded by | John S. Arrowood |
| In office January 1, 2001 – December 31, 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Clarence Horton |
| Succeeded by | Cheri Beasley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Douglas McCullough (1945-05-28)May 28, 1945 |
| Died | October 18, 2022(2022-10-18) (aged 77) North Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Lucci |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BA) University of South Carolina (JD) |
J. Douglas McCullough (May 28, 1945 – October 18, 2022)[1] was an American lawyer and former judge of theNorth Carolina Court of Appeals. McCullough retired in 2017.[2]
After earning a history degree from theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1967 and aJuris Doctor degree from theUniversity of South Carolina in 1970, McCullough served in theUnited States Marine Corps, retiring as acolonel in theMarine Corps Reserves. McCullough worked as legislative counsel forNew Mexico SenatorHarrison Schmitt, as a counsel to theUnited States Senate, and finally as anAssistant United States Attorney in theeastern district ofNorth Carolina from 1981 through 1996, when he left to enter private practice.
In November 2000, McCullough was elected to theNorth Carolina Court of Appeals with just over 50 percent of the vote, defeating incumbent Clarence Horton.[3]
He is married to Lucci McCullough and has two children. He resides inAtlantic Beach, North Carolina.
On October 7, 2006, McCullough was charged withdrunk driving. He pleadedguilty to driving while impaired on April 3, 2007.[4]
McCullough is a registered Republican, but in his 2008 bid for re-election, he cited bipartisan support from notables such as former NC Supreme Court Chief JusticesBurley Mitchell (a Democrat) andI. Beverly Lake Jr. (a Republican).[5] He also enjoyed support from former North Carolina Court of Appeals JudgesS. Gerald Arnold,Sidney S. Eagles,K. Edward Greene, andAlbert S. Thomas Jr.
McCullough was criticized in 2007 for implying that he and other incumbent Republican incumbents should be re-elected because they would favor Republicans in an anticipated lawsuit overredistricting.[6][7][8] An ethics complaint was filed against him as a result of his comments.[9]In response to the complaint, the state Judicial Standards Commission said it would not punish McCullough, but it also said that it had made "an effort to ensure such conduct is not repeated."[10]
McCullough was defeated in theNovember 2008 election by state District Court judgeCheri Beasley.[11][12]
McCullough won a new term on the Court of Appeals in 2010, when he came in second in the first round, but won the second round, of the first use ofinstant runoff voting for a statewide election in North Carolina. He narrowly defeated appointed incumbent judgeCressie Thigpen.[13]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Cressie Thigpen (incumbent) | 395,220 | 20.33% | |
| Nonpartisan | Douglas McCullough | 295,619 | 15.21% | |
| Nonpartisan | Chris Dillon | 201,870 | 10.39% | |
| Nonpartisan | Anne Middleton | 174,556 | 8.98% | |
| Nonpartisan | Daniel E. Garner | 153,971 | 7.92% | |
| Nonpartisan | Jewel Ann Farlow | 151,747 | 7.81% | |
| Nonpartisan | Harry Payne | 99,257 | 5.11% | |
| Nonpartisan | Stan Hammer | 96,451 | 4.96% | |
| Nonpartisan | Mark E. Klass | 90,526 | 4.66% | |
| Nonpartisan | Pamela M. Vesper | 90,116 | 4.64% | |
| Nonpartisan | John F. Bloss | 78,857 | 4.06% | |
| Nonpartisan | John Sullivan | 69,971 | 3.60% | |
| Nonpartisan | J. Wesley Casteen | 45,610 | 2.35% | |
| Total votes | 1,943,771 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Douglas McCullough | 543,980 | 50.31% | |
| Nonpartisan | Cressie Thigpen (incumbent) | 537,325 | 49.69% | |
| Total votes | 1,081,305 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Cheri Beasley | 1,706,132 | 57.42% | |
| Nonpartisan | Douglas McCullough (incumbent) | 1,265,378 | 42.58% | |
| Total votes | 2,971,510 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Douglas McCullough | 1,371,798 | 50.32% | |
| Democratic | Clarence E. Horton Jr. (incumbent) | 1,354,543 | 49.68% | |
| Total votes | 2,726,341 | 100% | ||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | ||||
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Clarence Horton | Judge of theNorth Carolina Court of Appeals 2001–2009 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Judge of theNorth Carolina Court of Appeals 2011–2017 | Succeeded by |
