The Framework
The Constitutional Accountability Index (CAI)
The Constitutional Accountability Index (CAI)
The Constitutional Accountability Index (CAI) is a nonpartisan framework designed to evaluate how candidates in competitive contests respect core constitutional guardrails. North Carolina serves as the inaugural application of the Index, with the framework designed to be applied in other states and future election cycles.
Scope of Evaluation
For its inaugural North Carolina application, the CAI focuses on contests where the outcome carries significant constitutional impact and where voters face a meaningful electoral choice. The Index includes statewide and federal offices with significant institutional power—such as the U.S. Senate and North Carolina Supreme Court—as well as U.S. House races that are demonstrably competitive. U.S. House contests were determined using publicly reported fundraising data compiled by Ballotpedia, with evaluation limited to materially contested races.
For North Carolina, the CAI evaluated: U.S. Senate; North Carolina Supreme Court Justice; and U.S. House races in NC-01, NC-09, NC-11, and NC-13.
How to Read This
Colors reflect constitutional accountability based on publicly verifiable conduct; they are not endorsements or predictions of election outcomes.
Legend
What the CAI Is
- ● Evidence-based
- ● Cross-partisan
- ● Transparent and repeatable
- ● Applicable across offices, states, and election cycles
What the CAI Is Not
- ● A party ranking
- ● A candidate endorsement
- ● A prediction of election outcomes
- ● A policy scorecard
NC Constitutional Accountability Index — Summary Table
| Contest | Candidate | Use of Force | Rule of Law | Election Integrity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senate | Roy Cooper (D) | N/A¹ | ||
| Michael Whatley (R) | N/A¹ | |||
| NC Supreme Court | Anita Earls (D, incumbent) | N/A² | ||
| Sarah Stevens (R) | N/A² | |||
| U.S. House (NC-01) |
Don Davis (D, incumbent) | |||
| Laurie Buckhout (R) | ||||
| Bobby Hanig (R) | ||||
| U.S. House (NC-09) |
Richard Hudson (R, incumbent) | |||
| Richard Ojeda (D) | ||||
| U.S. House (NC-11) |
Chuck Edwards (R, incumbent) | |||
| Jamie Ager (D) | ||||
| U.S. House (NC-13) |
Brad Knott (R, incumbent) | |||
| Paul Barringer (D) |
Notes & Explanations
¹ Rule of Law — Senate Race (N/A) Rule of Law was marked Not Rated due to insufficient comparable, office-specific evidence across both candidates during the evaluation period. This reflects scope limitations, not performance.
² Use of Force — Judicial Race (N/A) Judicial candidates do not exercise coercive authority; therefore, Use of Force is not applicable.
The methodology and detailed candidate assessments supporting this Index are available for review and citation.