NC Supreme Court race could head to recount; GOP sweeps Court of Appeals races
The race for a seat on North Carolina’s Supreme Court remains extremely close and could be headed to a recount.
With all precincts reporting, Republican Jefferson Griffin is roughly 9,800 votes ahead of his opponent, Allison Riggs, the Democratic incumbent, as of Wednesday morning.
The Associated Press has not called the race and on the Wednesday after Election Day it was within the margins for a recount.
In a press release, Riggs campaign officials said they were closely monitoring counts of all votes, including absentee and provisional ballots, and would know more about next steps within days.
“I am incredibly grateful to the more than two million North Carolinians who have placed their trust in me and voted for me to keep my seat on our state Supreme Court,” Riggs said. “Over the past two years, I have been honored to stand with people across our state for courts that uphold our state and federal constitutions, without fear or favor.”
As for the Court of Appeals, Republicans swept all three races.
None of these races could have flipped the overall partisan majority of either court; Republicans already held commanding majorities on both.
But Republicans have expanded their dominance on the Court of Appeals and may do so on the Supreme Court as well.
The state’s appellate courts are regularly called upon to review the constitutionality of controversial legislation, such as voting laws and redistricting plans.
Supreme Court: Allison Riggs vs. Jefferson Griffin
The race for Supreme Court pitted Riggs, who was appointed last year by Gov. Roy Cooper, against Griffin, a judge currently serving on the Court of Appeals.
The high court is currently comprised of five Republicans and two Democrats. If Riggs loses, the GOP will expand its majority to 6-1.
Riggs, who spent most of her career as a civil rights attorney with the Southern Coalition for Southern Justice, campaigned on her support for reproductive rights, saying in a recent ad “I believe in a woman’s right to choose.”
In her responses to The News & Observer’s voter guide, Riggs said that “securing equal justice under the law, for every individual regardless of background, is at the core of my work.”
Griffin, a veteran and captain in the North Carolina Army National Guard, campaigned as a constitutional conservative.
“I believe judges should interpret the law, not make the law,” Griffin said in The N&O’s voter guide. “The role of a jurist is to apply the law as it is written.”
Court of Appeals Seat 12: Carolyn Jennings Thompson vs. Tom Murry
North Carolina Court of Appeals Judge Carolyn Jennings Thompson, a Democrat, lost her seat to Republican challenger Tom Murry.
Thompson was appointed to the Court of Appeals last year by Gov. Roy Cooper after serving as a District Court and Superior Court judge.
Murry, an assistant district attorney for Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance and Warren counties, previously served in the state House of Representatives.
Court of Appeals Seat 14: Valerie Zachary vs. Ed Eldred
Republican Court of Appeals Judge Valerie Zachary won her race against Democratic challenger Ed Eldred, a Carrboro attorney, according to an AP race call.
Zachary has served on the Court of Appeals since 2015 and has authored approximately 600 opinions.
Eldred practices appellate law and has handled over 300 appeals before the Court of Appeals and the state Supreme Court.
Court of Appeals Seat 15: Chris Freeman vs. Martin Moore
According to The Associated Press, Republican Chris Freeman, who serves as a District Court judge, defeated
Democrat Martin Moore, a Buncombe County commissioner, in the race for an open seat on the Court of Appeals.
Freeman, who defeated Judge Hunter Murphy in the Republican primary for this seat, is serving his ninth year as a judge. He is an officer in the United States Air Force JAG Reserves.
In addition to being a county commissioner, Moore practices appellate and mediation law and previously chaired the Buncombe County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council.
In the Spotlight designates ongoing topics of high interest that are driven by The News & Observer’s focus on accountability reporting.
This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 8:23 PM.
