Ballots still being counted in tight NC Supreme Court judge race
One of the most expensive and closely watched races in North Carolina is on the state Supreme Court, where a Democratic justice campaigned heavily on abortion rights and Republicans hope to expand their majority, remained too early to call Thursday.
Groups on both the right and left spent millions nationally in the leadup to the election hoping to reshape courts that'll be battlegrounds for voting rights, redistricting, abortion and other issues.
Sitting Justice Allison Riggs, a Democrat, narrowly trailed Republican Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin in their race for an eight-year term on the state's highest court.
Nearly 5.5 million ballots have been counted in that tight race and tens of thousands of additional provisional and absentee ballots still had to be reviewed by county election officials.
The trailing candidate could seek a recount if the final margin is narrow enough.
Riggs' campaign focused on reproductive rights, running ads that said Griffin could be a deciding vote on the 5-2 majority Republican court for further abortion restrictions. Griffin had said it was inappropriate for Riggs to talk about an issue that could come before the court.
The Associated Press contributed.