There is one last substantial election that has yet to be finalized from last November. North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs (D) squeaked out a 700+ vote win to retain her seat on the bench. The Republican candidate sued on the “I’m sad that I am a loser” cause of action and tried to get 60,000+ votes thrown out on the basis that they likely disproportionally voted for his opponent. The state courts were somewhat down with this.
A Federal judge was not:
BREAKING: U.S. District Court Judge Richard Myers orders the NC State Board of Elections to certify a 734-vote win for Democratic Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs and rejects all of Griffin’s election protests. Judge stays order for one week so Griffin may appeal. #ncpol
— Bryan Anderson (@bryanranderson.bsky.social) May 5, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Open thread
cmorenc
Interesting that Judge Myers was nominated by Trump in 2019, during Trump’s first term, and confirmed by the Senate by 72-22. That’s going to make it much harder for the NC GOP to convincingly play the “liberal biased judge” card. BONUS: Myers is a member of the Federalist Society! At least in this situation that’s a huge bonus toward the probability that his ruling will stick.
Scott P.
Does nobody link to the opinion anymore?
scav
@Scott P.: I don’t know, have you looked?
MazeDancer
Please may this stick this time.
RevRick
The judge had three main points. One, it violated due process by changing the rules after the fact. Two, it violated equal protection by creating an arbitrary class. Three, it placed an undue burden on the right to vote.
I think even the Supreme Court would have a hard time deciding against this ruling.
NobodySpecial
@RevRick: You underestimate the ability of the Roberts Court to Calvinball anything and everything.
gratuitous
@RevRick: That first point is what occurred to me, reading the outline of the case: Change the rules after the result wasn’t to the loser’s liking. Classic Republican whine.
prostratedragon
Sometimes you just have to stop and stare for a moment.
prostratedragon
Also in federal court:
Needless to say, the “strings” concern DEI policies.
More details:
cmorenc
@NobodySpecial: Indeed – see Bush v Gore, but with a much more pronounced partisan lean and lessened respect for precedent @SCOTUS in 2025 than in 2000. Nevertheless, with a state SCt rather than federal SCOTUS or Presidential result at stake, and with a decision upholding Riggs win only resulting in a 5-2 rather than 6-1 GOP majority on the NC SCt, Roberts + at least one other RE SCOTUS justice may decide that a decision upholding Riggs win is a tactically worthwhile sacrifice toward improving the public respect for SCOTUS, the better to reinforce it ahead of other hard-right-leaning decisions to come on more consequential matters.
Jackie
@RevRick: Fingers crossed.
Jackie
@prostratedragon:
Trumpism
Wapiti
@prostratedragon: Weird – while King County, Washington is now named after MLK, I have never, ever, seen the county called anything but King County.
Jackie
@Wapiti: It’s still only King County.
Jackie
@Jackie: I stand corrected: According to Wikipedia
prostratedragon
@Wapiti: That was news to me too. Per wikipedia, happened by amendment in 2005; the county had long been named for another King. The county logo now is an image of Dr. King.
prostratedragon
On another topic, these NBA quarterfinal games so far are humdingers.
prostratedragon
Wow
Jackie
Why FFOTUS made his bizarre Alcatraz declaration? Maybe this:
I can totally see this: Not only is FFOTUS influenced by the last word whispered in his ear; he’s also influenced by the last movie he watched.
prostratedragon
Precedent:
JaySinWA
Is Bryan Anderson any relation to David Anderson? Or perhaps Richard Mayhew?
Jay
So, the grievance monkeys that are Danielle Smith’s (Premier of Alberta) UCP dropped their “Sovereignty” legislation today. (Wexit).
Indigenous Nations, Treaty #3, #4. #5, #6, #7, #8, #9 filed an injunction with the Canadian Supreme Court which was accepted, all those treaties pre-exist Alberta.
Under law, a half dozen of Alberta municipalities would be allowed to separate.
And 98% of Alberta’s resources would come under the control of the Indigenous peoples.
MAGgot’s are morons.
prostratedragon
The good horse and the charioteer exchange meaningful glances.
lowtechcyclist
@prostratedragon:
Dafuq?!
What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?
@lowtechcyclist: Yeah that’s bizarre. Like what possible legal purpose could that serve? I’m sure plenty of the Feds involved care about the issue but in the end you work on the projects you’re assigned to. A lot of the time it’s just the luck of the draw. And there’s no reason to give that info to an organization that’s wholly outside of my Federal government.
prostratedragon
@lowtechcyclist:
Shoulder angels. In Socrates’s model of the concept there’s a charioteer driving a cart pulled by a good horse, with a bad horse interfering. Here we seem to have a bad horse with two struggling shoulder angels.
Elsewhere in vaccine management, autogyro edition,
AM in NC
@cmorenc: Thank FSM for this. No way the corrupt state SC acts as anything other than partisan hacks. And no way the newly-formed GOP-majority state Board of Elections would do the legal/moral thing and certify the actual winner if not for being forced to by the Feds.
As I know you know, it’s step one (of many) in reclaiming the NC Supreme Court and un-rigging our elections for the future. Onward to 2028!!!!!
And, as you note, the fact that this judge is a FedSoc hack (because if you’re FedSoc, you are definitionally a hack) should hopefully make it harder for this to be undone. The odious Griffin has one week to appeal, but with a ruling like this (and people like PatMcCrory coming out against him) hopefully he’ll stop this fuckery.
lowtechcyclist
@What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?:
Turnabout’s fair play: the judges on the Fifth Circuit who voted to release the names and email addresses of these Federal employees should have their contact information made public.
I’m against doxxing, but these judges have earned it.
If the Supreme Court upholds this (or even just denies cert), then no Federal worker is safe from being doxxed by a court because somebody doesn’t like the project they worked on. If I were still working, I’d be a lot more nervous than I already might’ve been.
prostratedragon
Caution: diplomat at work:
At this rate, count it a win if they don’t atyack us.
lowtechcyclist
@prostratedragon:
I’m familiar with the concept, just not sure what it has to do with the 5th Circuit.
Baud
Readership capture
lowtechcyclist
@prostratedragon:
Here’s an idea for the next time a Democrat is President: have a whole bunch of kabuki war threats between the Canadian PM and the U.S. President, then a totally meaningless ‘invasion’ by a few thousand Canadian troops into NE Montana, and a peace treaty where the President cedes the Dakotas, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming to Canada in return for peace. The GOP loses 10 U.S. Senate seats. Sounds like a win to me!
prostratedragon
@Baud: Oh my! Worth having it just for that.
prostratedragon
Having gone there for a simple phoyo op and ened up syanding there while he rambled about Alcatraz, self-deportations, and dressing up like a pope,
this finally broke it for the NFL commissioner and the mayor of DC:
MagdaInBlack
@prostratedragon: I must have completely dis-associated, because nothing that moron says surprises me anymore.
Baud
@MagdaInBlack:
I’m there. I’m actually pretty amazed by people who can stay in a constant state of shock about what Trump says or does.
Besides, it’s clear he enjoys rattling decent folks. His fans enjoy it too.
p.a.
I’ve sure as hell noted that in all their “fuck due process” comments, but when I note they would be the people ratting out Anne Frank’s family they never respond. I wonder what percentage have to google Anne Frank…
chemiclord
@prostratedragon: “Now, of course, if this information had included a bunch of white people, we’d be incandescent with rage and sharing all these names with the entire world in our shrieks of fury.”
David Anderson
@JaySinWA: nope
Dave's Dad
@JaySinWA: no…he is not related
WaterGirl
@Dave’s Dad: Hi Dave’s Dad! Belatedly releasing you from moderation.