Supreme Court won't bypass appeals court, giving Griffin a better chance of overturning election

In a 4-2 vote on Thursday, the state Supreme Court denied a request to take up a protest directly. In so doing, the high court bolstered Judge Jefferson Griffin's chances of overturning the election.

North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby speaks during a General Assembly session on Jan. 8, 2025.

The North Carolina Supreme Court on Thursday bolstered Republican Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin’s ongoing effort to overturn an apparent 734-vote defeat to Democratic Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs.

The State Board of Elections and Riggs campaign wanted the Supreme Court to take up Griffin’s election protest directly. This would’ve forced the high court to issue a 4-2 ruling in Griffin’s favor in order to nullify a Wake County Superior Court judge’s decision this month to reject all three of Griffin’s protests.

On Thursday, the state Supreme Court denied that request in a 4-2 vote, thus allowing the Court of Appeals process to play out. If a three-judge panel on the Court of Appeals rules in Griffin’s favor, the Republican would just need a 3-3 split ruling from the state Supreme Court to overturn the election.