NC Supreme Court Race Finally Concluded: Griffin Concedes to Riggs

Months-Long Battle Ends

After a long and contentious legal battle, Republican Jefferson Griffin has conceded the North Carolina Supreme Court race to Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs. This brings an end to the last unresolved contest from the 2024 election, which dragged on for months following a barrage of lawsuits.

Federal Judge’s Ruling Propels Concession

The concession came two days after a federal judge ruled against Griffin’s legal challenge to tens of thousands of ballots. Judge Richard Myers, appointed by President Donald Trump, ordered the North Carolina Board of Elections to certify Riggs’ 734-vote victory. The ruling effectively put an end to all ongoing litigation and gave Griffin seven days to appeal. He chose to concede instead, six months after the final votes were cast in November’s election.

Griffin Respects the Court’s Decision

In his statement, Griffin acknowledged that while he didn’t fully agree with the District Court’s analysis, he respected the court’s decision. He emphasized his respect for every judicial tribunal that had heard the case.

Riggs, in her own statement, expressed relief that the will of the voters had finally been heard after a lengthy and costly process. She highlighted the millions of dollars spent, the risk to thousands of voters’ ballots, and the damage done to democracy during this time.

Close Race and Contentious Lawsuits

Riggs, appointed to the state Supreme Court in 2023, had narrowly emerged ahead of Griffin, a state appeals court judge, after Election Day. A full machine recount and a partial hand recount both showed Riggs leading by 734 votes out of 5.5 million ballots cast.

However, Griffin quickly filed hundreds of legal challenges, backed by the North Carolina Republican Party, alleging that over 65,000 people had voted illegally. These claims focused on three categories of voters: those without driver’s licenses or Social Security numbers listed in their registration records, overseas voters who hadn’t lived in North Carolina, and overseas voters who failed to provide photo identification with their ballots.

These challenges remained tied up in both federal and state courts, including the North Carolina Supreme Court, with series of nuanced rulings evaluating specific and complex elements related to Griffin’s allegations. Both Griffin and Riggs recused themselves from the matter when it reached the courts they served on.

Final Ruling Upholds Riggs’ Victory

The final ruling came Monday when Judge Myers upheld Riggs’ victory. He stated that it would be unconstitutional to toss tens of thousands of ballots months after they were cast, emphasizing that election rules should be set before the voting process begins.

Riggs’ victory maintains the current 5-2 split on the state Supreme Court, where Republicans hold the majority.

Controversy and Concerns Over Election Integrity

The saga sparked controversy over whether ballots could be tossed long after voting, raising concerns that this could be replicated in future attempts to overturn close races. Critics argued that Griffin’s arguments contradicted established election law precedents, including the principle that election rules must be established before voting occurs.

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin called it a “righteous victory for democracy” and a clear defeat of political gamesmanship, highlighting the Republican effort to overturn the will of the people and undermine faith in elections.

Griffin, in his statement, countered that his efforts were always about upholding the rule of law and ensuring that every legal vote was counted.