Allison Riggs Wins North Carolina Supreme Court Race by 734 Votes After Griffin Concedes and Ballot Challenge Fails
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Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs has been declared the winner of the 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court election following a six-month legal dispute. The contest, which was the last unresolved race from the 2024 general election, concluded after Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin conceded on May 7, 2025.
Griffin's concession came two days after U.S. District Judge Richard Myers, a Trump appointee, ruled that the North Carolina State Board of Elections must certify Riggs' victory and include all disputed ballots in the final count. Myers determined that removing thousands of ballots—primarily from military and overseas voters—after the election would violate voters' constitutional rights. Riggs' margin of victory was 734 votes out of more than 5.5 million cast, with two recounts having affirmed the result.
Griffin had challenged the eligibility of over 60,000 ballots, focusing on absentee, military, and overseas voters, as well as those lacking certain identification details. State and federal courts ultimately rejected his claims, with Myers emphasizing that election rules cannot be changed retroactively. Griffin announced he would not appeal the federal court's decision, stating, "While I do not fully agree with the District Court’s analysis, I respect the court’s holding — just as I have respected every judicial tribunal that has heard this case."
Riggs, who will serve an eight-year term, is one of two Democrats on the seven-member state Supreme Court, which maintains a 5-2 Republican majority. In her statement, Riggs noted that over 68,000 voters were at risk of losing their votes, hundreds of legal documents were filed, and that she was glad the will of the voters was finally heard. Griffin's term on the Court of Appeals ends in 2028.
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