The North Carolina Supreme Court has temporarily stopped the certification of Democrat Allison Riggs as the winner in a hotly contested judicial election. Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin requested the intervention, citing concerns over ballot irregularities.
Griffin, who initially led the race, now trails Riggs by 734 votes following the inclusion of late-counted ballots. The slim margin triggered an automatic recount, with the final tally showing Riggs narrowly ahead. Republicans argue that 60,000 ballots should be disqualified due to procedural inconsistencies.
Griffin emphasized the importance of protecting the state’s elections. “These protests are about one fundamental principle: ensuring every legal vote is counted,” he said in a GOP statement. The North Carolina Republican Party, backed by the RNC, has filed hundreds of complaints regarding the disputed ballots.
BREAKING: The North Carolina Supreme Court just issued an order blocking the certification of the Supreme Court race where the Republican candidate was overtaken by the Democrat after late ballots arrived.
Republican Jefferson Griffin is challenging the validity of 60,000 votes… pic.twitter.com/EvpohajRFA
— George (@BehizyTweets) January 7, 2025
North Carolina Supreme Court Blocks Elections Board From Certifying Democrat As Winner For High Court Seat https://t.co/QvjSMiAUPJ
— 🌺🌿kam🌿🌺 (@pjkate) January 8, 2025
The State Board of Elections has been accused of failing to conduct the process fairly. RNC Chairman Michael Whatley criticized the board’s handling of the election, citing transparency issues and inconsistent practices. Whatley vowed to support Griffin in challenging the results.
🚨Certification halted for North Carolina Supreme Court race
Marc Elias👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/byTv0pc11v— Loreyla D'Orazio 🇻🇪🇮🇹🇺🇸 (@Barlofa) January 8, 2025
BREAKING 🚨 After 11 days of Ballots continually being counted in North Carolina, The Democrats have now taken the lead for NC Supreme Court
THIS is what stealing an Election looks like
STOP THE STEAL pic.twitter.com/WqfddXVNyx
— MAGA Voice (@MAGAVoice) November 16, 2024
The legal battle has spanned both state and federal courts. A federal judge recently returned the case to North Carolina, but the State Board of Elections appealed to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. That court has yet to issue a decision.
🚨 HUGE DEVELOPMENT: The Supreme Court of North Carolina has just BLOCKED the certification of the Supreme Court election where the Democrat barely won.
This is an EXTRAORDINARILY tight race – the Democrat is ahead by less than 1,000 votes.
Democrat Allison Riggs will no longer… pic.twitter.com/FhhztU09nN
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 7, 2025
BREAKING: The North Carolina Supreme Court just issued an order blocking the certification of the Supreme Court race where the Republican candidate was overtaken by the Democrat after late ballots arrived. Republican Jefferson Griffin is challenging the validity of 60,000 votes https://t.co/Axq9uhHG9K
— vzvz (@xvbvzvz) January 8, 2025
Riggs recused herself from participating in the case, leaving the court’s Republican majority to issue a temporary stay on certification. Justice Anita Earls dissented, arguing that interfering in the election process undermines public confidence.
This dispute highlights ongoing tensions in the state, where President Donald Trump won by over 3% in 2024, yet Democrats secured narrow down-ballot victories, sparking debates over election integrity.
