Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Cherryville, NC (WNN) - Earlier this week, Stacey Crouse came into WNN studios to interview on her platform for Lincoln County Clerk of Superior Court. She is one of four Republican candidates for the position, which has a four-year term. This is another race that will be determined in the primaries because no Democrats are running for the position.
Crouse grew up in Lincolnton, NC, and attended Lincolnton High School. She then attended UNC Charlotte, earning a degree in criminal justice. With her degree, Elmore began a lengthy career in the court system. Starting in the clerk's office of her hometown, then put in a combined 15 years of experience in the Lincoln, Halifax, and Gaston County Clerk's offices. Outside of this, she has also spent four years under a private attorney and has worked as a district court manager in Lincoln County since 2020.
Crouse describes the Clerk of Court as the court district's record keeper. This position is also a judge, and, as such, they preside over cases involving estates and probate. They are also responsible for deputies and assistants, each of whom is assigned to a department. These include areas like civil, criminal, and special proceedings, all of which the elected clerk must manage. While it may seem odd that judges are generally partisan, the reason is that, because judges issue rulings, they must be elected, leading them to take a partisan position.
While watching the system transition to the new e-court system, Crouse identified many operational issues. The previous system was a paper-based system from the 80s, and after around two years of work, the e-court system was implemented statewide. After the current clerk decided to retire, Crouse saw it as an opportunity to use her experience to the system's advantage. She believes that, after working in so many different courtrooms and with a private attorney, she understands how courtrooms operate. Many of her peers have only worked within one system, and she wants to share and educate everyone around her using this lived experience.
She understands the current structures in place, including the changes to the e-court system. Now, every county is available to all courts, and most filings are made entirely online. Public defenders, attorneys, and anyone who needs a judicial signature must e-file with the clerk's office and then submit it to the judge's office. This also means that anything entered into the portal becomes publicly available. As a two-county court system, she would like to see that the Lincoln and Cleveland County systems have more unified processes to avoid confusion across the district.
She has also heard the public concern over the ability to make phone calls to the Lincoln County Courthouse. She feels this is due to a shortage of staff at the office, but she believes this could be addressed by more cross-training across the office. She also thinks the courthouse should expand the estate portion of the court. Currently, it is handled at a window, and with estate filings typically coming at stressful times in life, she wants to see it expanded to a whole office where people can meet one-on-one for these issues.
Crouse's full interview with WNN reporter Rusty Wise is in the video below. Remember that the Republican candidate decision will be made on March 3rd, 2026. Early voting started on February 12th and runs through the 28th. The mail-in (absentee) ballot request deadline is February 17th. Mail-in ballots started going out to voters on January 12th. If you are a candidate or incumbent who would like to speak publicly about your stances, email newsdesk@wisenewsnetwork.com.
To see your early voting polling place, check the article here.
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