Habekah Cannon, a North Carolina-based lawyer who identifies herself as an “abolitionist” and is a longtime critic of the U.S. judicial system, is set to become a judge after winning a primary District Court judge seat earlier this week.
The 33-year-old Cannon recorded nearly 4,000 more votes than incumbent Cecilia Oseguera, winning with 52% of the vote. She will run unopposed on the November general election ballot because there were no Republican candidates for North Carolina’s District 26, which covers Mecklenburg County.
Mecklenburg County is the second-largest county in North Carolina, and its county seat is Charlotte.
Cannon has received extensive backlash on social media in recent days, with Libs of TikTok bringing attention to her company website in an X post. Cannon refers to herself as an abolitionist who provides clients with a “holistic, client-centered defense.” It is unclear what “holistic” means in that context.
HOLY HELL
Habekah Cannon, a far-left Democrat, was just elected judge in North Carolina
Cannon calls herself an “abolitionist” who will “get you out of that cage.” She was also ARRESTED 3 TIMES during the George Floyd riots.
She’s now a JUDGE
Unreal pic.twitter.com/gih6NIBIqE
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) March 5, 2026
“Abolitionist oriented and community minded,” Cannon’s website previously read. “We’ll get you out of that cage.”
Cannon has since removed the “We’ll get you out of that cage” part from her site. Although Cannon is Black, some argued that the “cage” reference nonetheless carries a racial connotation and can be interpreted as offensive.
Cannon, who was previously a public defender, was arrested three times in 2020 amid the various George Floyd and anti-law enforcement protests, though the District Attorney’s office dismissed all charges related to each arrest.
According to Cannon, the Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office asked her to resign following the third arrest, which took place that September. She claimed that her bosses did not believe that she could separate work from her activism.
What’s going on in Charlotte Mecklenburg?
This lady, Habekah Cannon, just won her primary for North Carolina District 26 as a judge for their district and is a self proclaimed jail abolitionist!
We don’t need any more judges who are sensitive to the criminals. pic.twitter.com/1MyoA0AEOS
— Robert Burns (@RobertBurns82) March 4, 2026
“We don’t need any more judges who are sensitive to the criminals,” Robert Burns, the mayor of Monroe, N.C., wrote on X earlier this week. Burns, who himself has drawn negative feedback for his social media activity, previously announced that he will not run for re-election.
The Libs of TikTok X post about Cannon’s victory had nearly 150,000 views at publication. Cannon has not publicly addressed any of the criticism.
Cannon’s history as an activist, coupled with her openly identifying as an abolitionist, raises serious questions regarding her ability to be objective. However, in a pre-election interview with WSOC, Cannon said that she will not let her personal beliefs or background affect her role as a judge.
“My role as an attorney is an advocate,” Cannon said. “I am a criminal defense attorney. That is my job, to advocate for my client. When I become judge, when I put on that robe and take that bench, I have to be impartial.”
