Judicial seats are rarely contested, but the race for Superior Court Judge District 6-C, seat one is competitive this year; whoever takes the mantle of the superior court seat will have the power to interpret what is fair in civil and criminal cases for the next eight years. The judges serve a district that covers New Hanover and Pender counties.
Ricardo Jensen is the Democratic incumbent appointed to the seat by Governor Roy Cooper, after Judge Phyllis Gorham announced her retirement last year. Jensen graduated from Ave Maria School of Law in Naples, Florida, and practiced law as a public defender for about a decade in multiple states: Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina. He is the first judge of Hispanic descent in New Hanover County, and he says that prepares him to serve.
“Being able to communicate with a community that often gets overlooked in their native language, to be able to listen, to be able to be kind to individuals - I think are aspects that make me the best-qualified candidate for this particular position,” said Jensen.
Max Ashworth is a public defense attorney who won the Republican primary for seat 6-C in March. Ashworth grew up in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, and is a graduate of UNCW and Campbell Law School. Ashworth has worked on cases in criminal, civil, and juvenile courts, and is a proponent of restorative justice — which is a faction of criminal justice that allows victims to address the harm done to them and for offenders to take accountability while aiming to mitigate recidivism rates.
“I've grown up in this state, dedicated my career to serving the people in this state. I was educated here. I went to UNCW. I have two children. I care about this community, and I want what's best for it,” said Ashworth.
Both candidates have about 10 years of experience working as public defenders, but what sets them apart is how they picture themselves fitting into the role of Superior Court Judge.
The role of a Superior Court Judge is one of interpretation of the law — more so than district seats that deal with day-to-day crimes. Both men say they will treat every case before them with fairness and objectivity. Ashworth says objectivity is his guiding principle.
“I think that everyone deserves respect, fairness, and their case should be treated for what it is, it's their life,” Ashworth said. “But through my experience, I've gotten this objective mindset to where I can take out those emotions of the parties or my client and just look at the facts for what they are and look at the law for what it is.”
Jensen says his guiding principle is a similar sense of objectivity, and listening to people as individuals.
“Listening, I think, is one of the top 10 aspects that make a good judge,” Jensen said. “So by setting all those things aside, all those biases, all those things that would make me not be a very good judge, I am able to pay better attention to those individuals. I'm able to make better rulings for each individual circumstance.”
When asked about community engagement, the two candidates had substantially different answers. Ashworth emphasizes how he interacts with the community:
“If I was elected, then my role as a judge would continue in the community. I'm on the board of directors for a program called the Tides program here in Wilmington, and what they do is work with mothers who struggle with substance abuse issues, who are either pregnant or just gave birth to a child, we facilitate housing, counseling, bus passes… it truly saves lives. I’m an active member of my church here in Wilmington. My kids play Little League sports. I help Coach the soccer and T-ball. So it's all of those things that I would continue to do, but just in a different professional role.”
Also, Ashworth believes programs such as restorative justice and rehabilitation should be encouraged, so those in the community who are justice-impacted have alternatives to sentencing.
"I've represented thousands of people through the drug epidemic here in Wilmington, people who are battling homelessness," Ashworth said. "Unfortunately, we don't have unlimited resources. But my experience has taught me that we have to look at these individuals who have, you know, broken a law and face sentencing on a case-by-case basis, and determine whether or not they are appropriate for a rehab program.
Before being appointed as judge, Jensen participated in and started community initiatives of his own.
"I helped out with teen court, it's a very rewarding program, and it helps attorneys be able to interact within the younger generation," Jensen said. "I was also a member of Moms Demand Action — a grassroots organization that helps to try and implement gun violence prevention policy. I was able to get four people in a library to start our first organization with Moms Demand Action here in Wilmington. And that was in 2022."
Jensen’s take on community engagement also focuses on inclusion and educating the public on the importance of preserving their rights:
“Being the first Superior Court Judge of Hispanic descent, I think is good to be able to show the Hispanic community that there are people like them that can aspire to these particular types of positions… It has been rewarding to be able to say, ‘Hey, I'm a judge, and I'm here to tell you why I think that I should continue being a judge… We have to understand that there are certain rights that are always going to be in front of the courts… That means it's going to be in front of a Supreme Court justice. So if we want to help preserve our rights, then we have to understand who's on the ballot, and especially in judicial races.”
Election day is November 5, early voting and same-day registration starts October 17.
Learn more about the candidates:
County Board of Elections Sites
