Republican Judge Jefferson Griffin has officially conceded the 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court race to Democratic incumbent Justice Allison Riggs, concluding a protracted legal dispute that lasted over six months. Griffin announced his decision on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, following a federal court ruling that mandated the certification of Riggs’ narrow victory.

The race, held in November 2024, was decided by a razor-thin margin of 734 votes out of more than 5.5 million cast, marking it as one of the closest statewide elections in North Carolina’s history. Despite multiple recounts confirming Riggs’ lead, Griffin challenged the eligibility of thousands of ballots, particularly those from military and overseas voters, citing issues such as missing identification information.

Griffin’s legal efforts faced several setbacks in state courts. While the North Carolina Court of Appeals initially ruled in his favor, the state Supreme Court later limited the scope of disputed ballots to approximately 1,500. The final blow came on May 5, 2025, when U.S. District Judge Richard Myers II ordered the state to certify Riggs as the winner, stating that retroactively changing election rules to disqualify votes would violate constitutional principles.

In his concession provided by his campaign to The Associated Press, Griffin stated that he would not appeal Judge Myers’ decision, expressing his commitment to upholding the integrity of the electoral process. Justice Riggs, who was appointed to the Supreme Court in September 2023 and subsequently elected to a full eight-year term, welcomed the conclusion of the legal battle, reaffirming her dedication to serving the people of North Carolina.

With this concession, the 2024 general election cycle officially concludes, and Justice Riggs will continue her tenure on the state’s highest court.