A Wake County Superior Court judge has ruled against Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin, who is trying to invalidate more than 65,000 ballots in the race for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court.

Tuesday’s decision means Judge Jefferson Griffin’s challenge could eventually be heard by the North Carolina Supreme Court, the very body he aims to join.

Friday’s hearing marks the beginning of a new phase of arguments, after both sides spent months arguing over whether the case should be heard by state or federal courts.

State elections officials were right to reject Jefferson Griffin’s attempts to throw out tens of thousands of North Carolina voters’ ballots from the 2024 elections, a Wake County judge ruled Friday,