Six months later: Allison Riggs declared winner of NC Supreme Court seat after Jefferson Griffin concedes
SO A LOT OF QUESTIONS REMAIN.
SO HE, BRIAN, THANK YOU.
NEW TODAY, NORTH CAROLINA
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ALLISON
RIGGS HAS WON REELECTION.
>> THAT HAPPENED WHEN
REPUBLICAN JEFFERSON GRIFFIN
CONCEDED FOLLOWING A JUDGE'S
RULING, GRIFFIN HAD BEEN
CALLING FOR MORE THAN 60,000
VOTES TO BE THROWN OUT FROM
NOVEMBER'S ELECTION. NOW, 183
DAYS LATER, WE KNOW THOSE VOTES
WILL COUNT THE BUREAU. SEAN
GALLAGHER IS LIVE OUTSIDE THE
STATE SUPREME COURT IN RALEIGH
WITH REACTION FROM BOTH SIDES
ON.
>> CAROL, THE SEASONS HAVE
CHANGED SINCE THAT ELECTION,
BUT THE STATE SUPREME COURT
WILL REMAIN THE SAME. ALLISON
RIGGS WILL CONTINUE WALKING
INTO THIS BUILDING, BUT
REGARDLESS OF HER PARTY, PEOPLE
FROM BOTH SIDES ARE LOOKING
FORWARD TO PUTTING THIS
ELECTION BEHIND THEM.
>> FROM HER HOME IN DURHAM, I
FEEL REALLY HAPPY THAT FINALLY
THIS CAN END. SUSAN ZANG FEELS
HEARD. SHE CAST ONE OF THE
NEARLY 70,000 VOTES CHALLENGED
BY JEFFERSON GRIFFIN.
>> A CLERICAL ISSUE WITH HER
NAME IN THE SYSTEM. SHE'S TOLD
WATCHING MY VOTE, NOT COUNT.
MY PARENTS LEFT CHINA
FOR THIS.
>> RIGHT TO VOTE AND IT IS
MOVING BACK IN HERE. IT'S WHY
SHE AND THOUSANDS OF OTHERS
PROTESTING GRIFFIN'S APPEALS
AND CHALLENGES FOR THESE VOTES
TO BE THROWN OUT. WE MAY
ANOTHER THAT UNC DEMOCRATIC
PARTY CHAIR SAYS THEY ARE
CELEBRATING THIS VICTORY BUT
FEEL THEY COULD BE BACK IN THIS
SPOT NEXT YEAR. IF ANOTHER
REPUBLICAN LOSES A KEY RACE.
AND SO IT MAY BE A SUPREME
COURT ELECTION IN NORTH
CAROLINA THIS YEAR.
>> BUT IT IS A SENATE RACE IN
NORTH CAROLINA. AND 26 OR IS
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEAT IN MICHIGAN OR IN
PENNSYLVANIA OR IN ANY OF OUR
OTHER STATES THAT ARE GOING
TO BE A CRIME TO GIVE
REPRESENTATION BACK TO THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY. A PRECEDENT
IS WHAT MEMBERS OF GRIFFIN'S
OWN PARTY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT
WITH THIS PROTRACTED FIGHT.
IT'S TIME THIS THIS CHALLENGE
ENDED. FORMER GOVERNOR PAT
MCCRORY CHALLENGED RESULTS
AFTER HE LOST THE 2016 RACE TO
ROY COOPER.
>> WHERE HE QUESTIONED IF EARLY
VOTES THAT CAME IN LATE SHOULD
COUNT. THIS WAS MUCH DIFFERENT
THAN A TYPICAL RECOUNT OR
CHALLENGE. THIS HAD TO DO WITH
BASICALLY CHANGING THE RULES
AT THE AFTER THE ELECTION IS
OVER. AND THAT'S THAT'S WHAT
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT. SETTING A
PRECEDENT. BUT THE FUTURE CAN
WAIT FOR VOTERS LIKE SAYING
SHE'S JUST GLAD HER VOICE
COUNTED. WHAT WAS RIGHT AND
WHAT IS JUST. HAS ONE.
>> AND NEITHER GRIFFIN OR RIGS
WERE AVAILABLE FOR AN INTERVIEW
TODAY. BUT RIGGS SAID IN A
STATEMENT THAT SHE'S JUST GLAD
THE WILL OF THE VOTERS HAS
FINALLY BEEN HEARD AFTER 6
MONTHS AND 2 DAYS, THE NC
DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS LOOKING TO
CELEBRATE HER VICTORY VIRTUALLY
OVER ZOOM IN JUST ABOUT 10