Judge John S. Arrowood was the first openly LGBTQ person to win a state-wide race in the South when he won his race to remain on the North Carolina Court of Appeals in 2018. Judge Arrowood is a North Carolina native. After obtaining his law degree at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, he clerked, and served as a staff attorney and head of the Court of Appeals Central Staff. He then relocated to Charlotte, where for a total of 26 years he practiced with the firm of James, McElroy & Diehl, P.A. doing complex civil litigation, employment and administrative law. Judge Arrowood was initially appointed as a Special Superior Court Judge in 2007 by Governor Michael Easley. Later that year Gov. Easley appointed him to the Court of Appeals. When Judge Arrowood lost his election to retain the seat, he returned to his old firm. In 2017, Governor Roy Cooper reappointed Judge Arrowood to the Court of Appeals. In 2018 he was elected to a full eight year term and was the leading vote-getter in the State last year. Judge Arrowood has served as the Chair of the Equality NC PAC, served for many years on the board of the Gay and Lesbian (now LGBTQ) Victory Institute and still serves on the board of One Victory.