North Carolina
NC Supreme Court could now decide who should win the election for a seat on the court
The North Carolina Supreme Court might soon get to decide who should win the election for one of its own seats, potentially giving the court’s Republican majority a chance to expand the party’s control over the judiciary.
The lawsuit had been in federal court, where judges at multiple levels have already rejected the legal theory behind the lawsuit seeking to change the results of 2024’s state Supreme Court election. But on Monday a federal judge sent it back down to the state Supreme Court.
In the 2024 elections, incumbent Democratic Justice Allison Riggs appeared to have held off Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin, with multiple recounts confirming the initial results that showed her winning by slightly more than 700 votes — a sliver of the more than 5 million votes cast in the race. But state elections officials haven’t made the victory official yet, due to a series of challenges launched by Griffin’s campaign and the North Carolina Republican Party. Griffin and the state GOP are seeking to throw out the ballots of more than 60,000 North Carolinians who voted last year, largely over registration concerns.
The complaint primarily revolves around people for whom a driver’s license number or Social Security number isn’t listed in a state database, with Republicans raising questions of whether state officials can verify that those voters are who they say they are. Democrats say the argument is moot because, in order to vote last year, North Carolina voters had to show a photo identification card, such as a driver’s license. If they lacked ID at the polls, they had to provide their Social Security number. Anyone who didn’t never had their vote counted in the first place.
Republicans tried using the argument before and during the 2024 elections in an attempt to block affected people from being allowed to vote. Those legal theories were rejected by the State Board of Elections, by a federal district court judge and also by a federal appellate court. So the voters in question were allowed to cast ballots.
Now Griffin says their ballots should be thrown out after the fact, predicting in court filings that doing so could propel him to victory and expand Republicans’ majority on the Supreme Court from a 5-2 to a 6-1 advantage.
State vs. federal court
Griffin’s post-election efforts were rejected by the State Board of Elections in a series of votes, with the election board’s Democratic majority voting that his claims were baseless and Republican members siding with Griffin.
Griffin, who remains a judge on the Court of Appeals while the case is pending, lodged five types of complaints, which also included a smaller number of overseas voters he doesn’t think should’ve been allowed to vote. One of the complaints was rejected unanimously, the others were rejected on 3-2 party-line votes.
State law says Griffin should’ve then appealed the election board’s decision in Wake County by taking the case to trial. He skipped that process and went straight to the Republican-led Supreme Court, seeking a ruling in his favor. Riggs’ campaign said that’s because Griffin has no evidence and would be exposed at trial. Griffin said it’s because he wants to speed things along since the election is already two months in the past.
In one of the previous cases ruled on during the election, federal Judge Richard Myers shot down the Republican Party’s efforts to stop the voters in question from voting. His ruling was later upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which further added that the legal arguments involved could only be heard in federal court, not state court.
The State Board of Elections moved Griffin’s post-election lawsuit into federal court, citing that precedent. The case went back to Myers, a Republican appointed by Donald Trump, who on Monday ruled that it shouldn’t be heard in federal court and that the North Carolina Supreme Court should decide.
The State Board of Elections could still appeal that decision. So, too, could Riggs, who has since intervened in the lawsuit. If the case ends up being heard in state court, however, Riggs won’t be able to defend her election results. She has already recused herself from taking part in any potential case over her election.
Spokespeople for Riggs and the elections board each said Monday they were still reviewing the order and had no immediate comment.
Political ramifications
A loss by Riggs would make it more difficult, though not impossible, for Democrats to flip back control of the Supreme Court before 2030 when there will be a new U.S. Census, followed by a new round of political redistricting.
In 2022, a Democratic majority on the court ruled that Republican lawmakers’ 2020 redistricting plans were unconstitutionally gerrymandered. But Republicans took control of the court in 2023 and immediately moved to undo that ruling and allow GOP lawmakers to gerrymander for political gain. They ruled state courts aren’t allowed to rule on partisan gerrymandering cases.
That 2023 ruling allowed Republicans to flip three of North Carolina’s seats in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2024 elections — in which Republicans won a 220-215 majority in the U.S. House. If those three seats hadn’t flipped, Democrats would control the U.S. House by a 218-217 margin instead.
At least two people are dead and “several” others are injured after a “planned fight” at a North Carolina park escalated into a mass shooting, authorities said.
Police have identified several victims and suspects after Monday’s shooting at Leinbach Park near Jefferson Middle School, according to the Winston-Salem Police Department.
Authorities confirmed there were multiple victims in the shooting, but did not provide an exact number. The suspects were still at large over two hours later.
Officers were called to the park just before 10 a.m. after reports of a fight, which then escalated into multiple people shooting each other.
Area schools are not in lockdown, and classes are operating as normal, police said.
“Due to the number of people involved, efforts are ongoing to account for everyone. At this time, some of those involved in the incident are juveniles,” police said.
According to local news station WFMY, at least three people were taken to the hospital. Officials have not shared their conditions.
Police said the shooting was an isolated incident and remains under investigation.
This is a developing story
The NC Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Sunday, April 19, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
Day: 6-2-0, Fireball: 6
Evening: 4-1-7, Fireball: 5
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 19 drawing
Day: 7-6-9-4, Fireball: 4
Evening: 8-1-5-6, Fireball: 6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 5 numbers from April 19 drawing
02-21-32-35-37
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Double Play numbers from April 19 drawing
18-26-27-31-42
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 19 drawing
32-42-52-53-55, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All North Carolina Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.
For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at North Carolina Lottery Offices. By mail, send a prize claim form, your signed lottery ticket, copies of a government-issued photo ID and social security card to: North Carolina Education Lottery, P.O. Box 41606, Raleigh, NC 27629. Prize claims less than $600 do not require copies of photo ID or a social security card.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a prize claim form and deliver the form, along with your signed lottery ticket and government-issued photo ID and social security card to any of these locations:
- Asheville Regional Office & Claim Center: 16-G Regent Park Blvd., Asheville, NC 28806, 877-625-6886 press #1. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Greensboro Regional Office & Claim Center: 20A Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro, NC 27407, 877-625-6886 press #2. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Charlotte Regional Office & Claim Center: 5029-A West W. T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28269-1861, 877-625-6886 press #3. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- NC Lottery Headquarters: Raleigh Claim Center & Regional Office, 2728 Capital Blvd., Suite 144, Raleigh, NC 27604, 877-625-6886 press #4. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
- Greenville Regional Office & Claim Center: 2790 Dickinson Avenue, Suite A, Greenville, NC 27834, 877-625-6886 press #5. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Wilmington Regional Office & Claim Center: 123 North Cardinal Drive Extension, Suite 140, Wilmington, NC 28405, 877-625-6886 press #6. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://nclottery.com/.
When are the North Carolina Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
- Pick 3, 4: 3:00 p.m. and 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Cash 5: 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Carolina Connect editor. You can send feedback using this form.
The North Carolina Tar Heels will be a young program across the board next season, with well over two dozen freshmen and numerous additions from the transfer portal this offseason. Expectations for the 2026 season are lowered dramatically after a disastrous first season for head coach Bill Belichick, though those expectations could help the Tar Heels fly under the radar.
As the Tar Heels approach the end of spring ball, it is time to look at the veterans of the team—the ones who have the experience to lead, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Let’s look at three underrated seniors for the 2026 football season.
Ade Willie, Cornerback
Willie joins the Tar Heels program after four years with Michigan State, as the former 4-star player in the 2022 recruiting class gets an opportunity to not only provide depth to the secondary, but potentially start Week 0 against TCU.
Willie played in over 30 games with the Spartans and brings experience in the secondary at cornerback and safety, along with quality length and closing speed to the football. For a defense that needs players to step up, the redshirt senior from IMG Academy will be asked to do so.
Isaiah Johnson, Defensive Lineman
The defensive line is beginning to look like one of the Tar Heels’ strengths for the 2026 season. Johnson, a former transfer from Arizona, enters his redshirt senior year looking to add another year of production after 40 tackles and two sacks this past season.
North Carolina has an impressive group of starters with Malkart Abou-Jaoude, Leroy Jackson, and incoming transfer Jaylen Harvey. Johnson adds value to the group as a run defender with the ability to penetrate the pocket. While not discussed as a key player, Johnson’s name will be used plenty during the regular season as a potential standout for the program’s defensive front.
Coleman Bryson, Safety
Bryson was a reserve player for the Tar Heels’ secondary last season as a big nickel defender in the rotation. Heading into his redshirt senior year, the former Minnesota Gopher is looking to become a full-time starter in the secondary.
It wasn’t long ago when Bryson was making plays as the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl Defensive MVP. His special teams abilities were valuable for North Carolina last season, and he flashed at times in coverage against tight ends, including a pass breakup in the season-opener against TCU. The Waynesville, North Carolina, native could be a key defender on the back-seven in 2026.
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