Michael Byrne

Michael Byrne earned a high school diploma from Millbrook High School, a bachelor's degree from North Carolina State University, and a law degree from Campbell University. Byrne's career experience includes working as an administrative law judge.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Administrative Law Judge, Michael C. Byrne, is a candidate for Seat 1 on the NC Court of Appeals.

After several years of trial and appellate practice in NC’s State and Federal courts, Judge Byrne restricted his law practice to representing law enforcement and public employees in the NC Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), Superior Court, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court. Between 2005 and 2020, he appeared in over 270 cases in OAH, serving as a referral attorney for multiple law enforcement organizations.

Judge Byrne litigated more than 20 cases in the Court of Appeals as an attorney, including law enforcement and correctional officers who were wrongfully fired or otherwise disciplined. Cases he won on behalf of NC law enforcement are now regularly cited in similar cases by OAH and the Court of Appeals. Judge Byrne also submitted amicus (friend of the court) briefs in Court of Appeals and Supreme Court cases for public employee and law enforcement groups.

In June 2020, Judge Byrne was sworn in as an Administrative Law Judge, where in just over five years he has issued almost 400 Final Decisions (opinions). He writes his decisions himself instead of delegating this important work to others. His top priority is giving fair hearings to all parties.

Nine of Judge Byrne’s decisions were later appealed to the Court of Appeals. All were unanimously affirmed (upheld) by the Court of Appeals, most recently in October 2025.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

While I am lifelong North Carolina Republican, there is no such thing as Democrat or Republican justice. I do not have a "side" when it comes to the law. Judges who take partisanship into account in their work undermine public trust and confidence in the fairness of the legal system.My judicial philosophy is summarized by the one-sentence directive the Chief Judge at the Office of Administrative Hearings gave him when he first started there: “Get it right.”I believe passionately in due process, fairness, giving all sides a chance to be heard, and deciding cases strictly based on the law, without fear or favor.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As a judicial candidate, I cannot comment on current events.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I am the only NC Court of Appeals candidate endorsed by the:

- North Carolina Fraternal Order of Police (FOP): part of the nation's largest police fraternal organization

- North Carolina Police Benevolent Association (PBA): NC's largest law enforcement organization

- National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO: 241,000 sworn officers and 1,000 police organizations nationwide

This combination of endorsements is unprecedented in a NC judicial primary.