DURHAM — Incumbent Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson handily defeated challenger James Dornfried in Judicial District 14A.

With 64 of 66 precincts reporting and only absentee and provisional ballots left to be counted, Hudson had 69.91 percent of the votes to Dornfried’s 30.09 percent.

Dornfried, an assistant district attorney, was the top assistant to former District Attorney Tracey Cline, who was dismissed from office in May after an open feud with Hudson.

Hudson, a Superior Court judge since 1989, emphasized his experience and said one of his priorities would be repairing Durham’s judicial system in the wake of Cline and her predecessor, Mike Nifong, being removed from office for misconduct.

Dornfried stressed the fact that his running gave voters their first choice in the district. He also made much of the state Court of Appeals’ reversing several of Hudson’s rulings, including dismissing murder charges against suspect Derrick Allen.

The Friends of Durham and the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People endorsed Hudson. The Durham People’s Alliance backed Dornfried.

Wise: 919-641-5895