On Friday, the Wake County Superior Court rejected disgraced Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin’s baseless attempt to overturn the votes of more than 65,000 North Carolinians in the state Supreme Court race he lost last November. 

Despite multiple recounts affirming his loss, Griffin has continued his desperate attempts to overturn a free and fair election for months at taxpayers’ expense. Now, he is denying North Carolinians their chosen justice as the state Supreme Court begins its second term tomorrow. 

Following yet another blow to Griffin’s anti-democratic attacks, it’s past time for him to concede.  

Read some of the coverage below:

News and Observer: Wake judge dismisses GOP challenge of 65,000 votes in NC Supreme Court election

“Friday’s hearing marked the beginning of a new phase of arguments, after both sides spent months arguing over whether the case should be heard by state or federal courts. Griffin won that battle — for now — with the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals agreeing to give state courts jurisdiction over the matter. That process began in Wake County before Pittman, who ruled against similar arguments to the ones Griffin is making in an offshoot lawsuit last month. Attorneys for Riggs and the State Board of Elections argued that Griffin is trying to rewrite election rules after the fact in his own favor — throwing out tens of thousands of votes in the process from voters who did nothing wrong. ‘That kind of retroactive disenfranchisement is fundamentally unfair, anti-democratic, and it violates state law,’ Raymond Bennett, Riggs’ lawyer, said.”

WUNC: Military veterans in the state legislature demand Griffin concede

“Democratic members of the state legislature who served in the military called on Republican judicial candidate Jefferson Griffin to abandon his election protest over more than 65,000 ballots in an uncertified race for the North Carolina Supreme Court.

“Griffin’s protests include an effort to invalidate 5,509 absentee ballots cast by military and overseas voters registered in four of the state’s bluest counties.

“‘When you challenge military ballots, you are not just challenging pieces of paper,’ said state Sen. Val Applewhite. ‘You are challenging the very people who put everything on the line for this country.’”

Democracy Docket: North Carolina Judge Rejects GOP State Supreme Court Candidate’s Bid To Throw Out 60K Ballots

“The certification of Riggs’ victory over Griffin — which was confirmed by two separate recounts — has remained on hold due to an earlier order from the GOP-controlled North Carolina Supreme Court. Today’s ruling is likely to be appealed by Griffin, first to the state court of appeals, and then ultimately to the state Supreme Court, which dismissed an earlier petition from the GOP candidate as premature. 

“Riggs — along with North Carolina Democrats and voting rights advocates — has repeatedly condemned Griffin’s legal maneuvers seeking to gain a seat on the state Supreme Court bench by disenfranchising North Carolinians en masse.

“The North Carolina Supreme Court election at issue is the last uncertified 2024 statewide race in the country and the court’s 2025 term begins Tuesday, Feb. 11.”

WUNC: Wake judge rules against Republican in hotly contested Supreme Court race

“A Wake County Superior Court judge has ruled against the Republican candidate trying to invalidate more than 65,000 ballots in his race for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court. But the trial court ruling notwithstanding, the judicial contest is far from over.

“The 2024 race between Democratic incumbent Justice Allison Riggs and her challenger, Republican Jefferson Griffin, a judge on the state Court of Appeals, is already the last remaining uncertified statewide contest in the nation.

“Multiple recounts have confirmed Riggs’ slim lead over Griffin by 734 votes. But Griffin is protesting thousands of ballots over alleged voting irregularities, even though the North Carolina State Board of Elections dismissed his protests due to a lack of evidence.”

WRAL: NC elections officials were right to reject GOP challenges to 65,000 ballots, Wake judge rules

“State elections officials were right to reject Jefferson Griffin’s attempts to throw out tens of thousands of North Carolina voters’ ballots from the 2024 elections, a Wake County judge ruled Friday, just hours after hearing arguments in the closely watched case.

“Lawyers for Griffin — the Republican candidate who trailed in his effort to defeat Democratic incumbent Justice Allison Riggs for a seat on the state Supreme Court — said during a Friday hearing that there was valid legal reasoning behind his challenges.

“But Wake County Superior Court Judge William Pittman disagreed, ruling that the elections board did nothing wrong when it rejected Griffin’s efforts to throw out the ballots. The board rejected Griffin’s challenges in a series of votes in December, which has since led to a sprawling legal battle in state and federal courts.

“Griffin had 734 fewer votes than Riggs after multiple recounts. But Griffin alleged that tens of thousands of people who cast ballots shouldn’t have been deemed eligible to vote, and that others violated state laws when voting. He previously asked the North Carolina State Board of Elections to toss their ballots. The board rejected his request in December, which led to Griffin’s appeal in court.

“On Friday, Riggs celebrated the judge’s decision. However, due to a recent state Supreme Court ruling, neither candidate may be declared the winner until all legal appeals are finished. She has repeatedly called on Griffin to concede defeat.”

Queen City News: More calls from Democrats for Judge Griffin to concede election

“A series of protests were announced Wednesday to rally against Griffin’s push to throw out the 60,000 ballots. … These nonpartisan rallies are being organized by North Carolina voters and grassroots voting rights organizations.”