It’s long past time for GOP Supreme Court candidate to concede

The Bottom Line from NC Newsline

North Carolina's state Supreme Court (Photo: Clayton Henkel)

It’s now been nine weeks since the November election and nearly a month since recounts confirmed that incumbent state Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs narrowly defeated her Republican challenger, state Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin.

As such, it’s long past time for Griffin to concede and allow the state’s high court to get back to work.

Unfortunately, that’s a step he refuses to take.

Instead, Griffin has filed a Hail Mary lawsuit in which he argues that the ballots of more than 60,000 North Carolinians – a group that includes voters who’ve been registered and voted for decades (and even several elected officials) – should be disqualified after the fact.

It’s a deeply disturbing and downright bizarre legal argument that would disenfranchise thousands of lifelong state residents and one that also says a lot – none of it good — about the kind of Supreme Court justice Griffin would make.

The bottom line: Losing an election is painful — especially when it’s close. But by refusing to acknowledge his defeat, Judge Griffin is wrongfully putting self-interest ahead of the common good.

For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.