Cheri Beasley, the current Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, was elected in 2008 - becoming the first black woman to win election without first being appointed by a governor.
Cheri L. Beasley (born February 14, 1966) is an American judge currently serving as the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. In 2008, Beasley was elected to the North Carolina Court of Appeals, defeating incumbent Douglas McCullough. In that election, Beasley became the first black woman to win election to statewide office in North Carolina without first being appointed by a governor. 
