Lou Olivera, a Democrat and sitting district court judge, is running for North Carolina Superior Court Judge, District 14C, Seat 1, in the 2026 general election.
Olivera is the sole candidate listed for the seat in the 2026 Cumberland County general election, according to the Cumberland County UOCAVA Election Notice. He is certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady election data. District 14C covers Cumberland County.
Olivera did not return a candidate questionnaire. The information below is drawn from public records and the candidate's public statements.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Office sought: North Carolina Superior Court Judge, District 14C, Seat 1
- Election date: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
- Education: Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, University of North Carolina (1995); J.D., Campbell University (2000)
Experience and public service
Olivera has served as a North Carolina district court judge since 2013, according to BallotReady profile data. He also serves as presiding judge of the Veterans Treatment Court in Cumberland County, according to his public statements on X.
Before taking the bench, Olivera ran a private law practice, Attorney Luis J. Olivera, PC, from 2004 to 2012, according to BallotReady. He worked as an assistant district attorney and prosecutor in North Carolina from 2000 to 2003. He also served as an adjunct professor at Methodist University in 2003.
Olivera describes himself as an Army combat veteran on his public X account.
On the issues
No issue positions were available. Olivera did not return a candidate questionnaire, and no policy statements were found in public sources reviewed for this profile.
Endorsements
No endorsements were identified in the sources reviewed for this profile.
