Spencer B. Merriweather III, the incumbent Mecklenburg County district attorney, is running as a Democrat for North Carolina District Attorney in District 26 in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. Merriweather has held the office since 2017.

Merriweather has said he plans to apply the law "with impartiality and without prejudice" and find new ways to engage the community in building faith and confidence in the criminal justice system, according to his campaign website.

Candidate information

  • Name: Spencer B. Merriweather III
  • Party: Democratic
  • Office sought: North Carolina District Attorney, District 26
  • Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
  • Ballot status: Certified for the ballot
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in politics, Princeton University, 2000; juris doctor, University of North Carolina, 2005
  • Hometown: Grew up in Mobile, Alabama, according to Merriweather. He attended Catholic schools there through eighth grade and then Murphy High School, which he described as the largest high school in Alabama.

Merriweather is Mecklenburg County's first Black district attorney, according to the North Carolina Bar Association. Governor Roy Cooper appointed him to the vacant office, and he was sworn in Nov. 27, 2017, according to Merriweather's campaign website. He said he served as student body president at Princeton University.

Experience and public service

Before becoming district attorney, Merriweather served as an assistant district attorney in the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office from 2007 to 2017, according to BallotReady. He worked as a legislative associate in the office of Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton from 2000 to 2002.

Merriweather's civic roles include president of the Mecklenburg Bar Foundation Board, chair of the Criminal Justice Section of the Mecklenburg County Bar, board of directors member at the National District Attorneys Association and board chair of the Major County Prosecutors Council at the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, according to the District Attorney's Office website. He is also a member of the National Association of Black Prosecutors. Merriweather said he served on the board of trustees at Princeton University from 2000 to 2004.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Merriweather's campaign website. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims.

Criminal justice and public safety: Merriweather said his office will actively engage with community stakeholders as part of a local Sexual Assault Response Team, known as SART, to provide more support for sexual assault survivors and hold assailants accountable. He said prosecutors will continue working with community and law enforcement partners to aggressively prosecute child abuse and neglect crimes, while ensuring young victims are nurtured, protected and not retraumatized by the court system.

Guns: Merriweather said reducing illegal gun possession will help keep some families from losing their loved ones.

Drug policy and healthcare: Merriweather said people who suffer from addiction and whose only crime is drug possession will be given ample opportunity to receive treatment.

Community trust: Merriweather said civilians and law enforcement must build and maintain a criminal justice system that deserves public confidence and trust.

Endorsements

Merriweather has been endorsed by the Charlotte Post Editorial Board, according to BallotReady.

The Ballantyne Beacon does not endorse candidates. This profile is part of our 2026 election coverage. Merriweather has not returned our questionnaire. Election day is Nov. 3, 2026.