RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina State Board of Elections has officially validated the results from the recent presidential contest as well as most of the statewide and legislative elections as of Tuesday. However, the outcomes for a state judicial position and several other races remain uncertain due to ongoing recounts and filed challenges.
One prominent race still awaiting finalized results is a closely contested seat on the state Supreme Court, where Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs currently holds a narrow lead over Republican contender Jefferson Griffin. If Riggs maintains her lead, Republicans will still hold a majority on the court despite her victory.
Several races within the General Assembly, including a critical state House seat that could jeopardize the Republican supermajority if it tilts in favor of the Democrats, are still pending. This pivotal district includes portions of Granville and Vance counties, where incumbent Republican Rep. Frank Sossamon is currently trailing Democratic challenger Bryan Cohn by a margin of 233 votes. This race is under recount conditions, and Sossamon has also initiated an election protest.
The state elections board has indicated that other legislative contests, including two Senate races and an additional House seat, are also in the process of recounting. Most election results were confirmed during this meeting, including the 16 electoral votes for President-Elect Donald Trump sourced from North Carolina, alongside Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein’s substantial victory over Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson in the gubernatorial race.
Further supporting Trump’s continued success in North Carolina, his margin of victory expanded from just over 1% in the 2020 election to more than 3 percentage points this year. Trump has consistently secured wins in North Carolina during each of his presidential campaigns.
In a notable example of voters splitting their choices, Stein handily defeated Robinson by almost 15 percentage points. Democratic U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson claimed victory over Republican Dan Bishop for the attorney general position, while Democrats also captured the lieutenant governor and state superintendent of public instruction roles. Conversely, Republicans managed to take over the state auditor’s position.
This election cycle presented significant logistical hurdles for officials, particularly following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina shortly before the election. Despite these challenges, Democratic board member Siobhan O’Duffy Millen praised the efficient organization of the elections, referring to it as a “well-run election.”
Millen noted, “There were a couple of things I would have liked to have seen done faster or in different orders, and we can all talk about that when the dust settles.”
According to the board’s executive director, Karen Brinson Bell, North Carolina voters set a new record for total ballots cast, reaching 5.7 million—though the overall turnout slightly trailed the record of just over 75% established in 2020.
While the board has certified the majority of races, the candidates who emerged victorious will not receive their official election certificates until six days after the final canvassing process concludes. Candidates involved in recounts or ongoing protests are expected to experience further delays.
Furthermore, the board will need to address Griffin’s request for Millen to withdraw from discussions regarding his protest claims—citing that her husband’s role in Riggs’ legal representation could represent a conflict of interest, a matter that has been postponed for deliberation at a later meeting.