Who is leading in the NC Supreme Court and Court of Appeals races? Follow along here
A seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court and three seats on the Court of Appeals are on the ballot this year.
None of these races has the potential to flip the partisan majority of either court; Republicans hold commanding majorities on both. But winning seats is crucial to each party's long-term plans.
The state's appellate courts are regularly called upon to review the constitutionality of controversial legislation, such as voting laws and redistricting plans .
Supreme Court: Allison Riggs vs. Jefferson Griffin
North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs , a Democrat appointed last year by Gov. Roy Cooper, is running against Judge Jefferson Griffin , a Republican currently serving on the Court of Appeals.
The high court is currently comprised of five Republicans and two Democrats. If Riggs loses, the GOP will expand its majority to 6-1.
Riggs, who spent most of her career as a civil rights attorney with the Southern Coalition for Southern Justice, has campaigned on her support for reproductive rights, saying in a recent ad "I believe in a woman's right to choose."
In her responses to The News & Observer's voter guide , Riggs said that "securing equal justice under the law, for every individual regardless of background, is at the core of my work."
Griffin, a veteran and captain in the North Carolina Army National Guard, has campaigned as a constitutional conservative.
"I believe judges should interpret the law, not make the law," Griffin said in The N&O's voter guide . "The role of a jurist is to apply the law as it is written."
Here's where the vote count stands:
Court of Appeals Seat 12: Carolyn Jennings Thompson Tom Murry
North Carolina Court of Appeals Judge Carolyn Jennings Thompson , a Democrat, is running to keep her seat from Republican challenger Tom Murry .
Thompson was appointed to the Court of Appeals last year by Gov. Roy Cooper after serving as a District Court and Superior Court judge.
Murry, an assistant district attorney for Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance and Warren counties, previously served in the state House of Representatives.
Here's where the vote count stands:
Court of Appeals Seat 14: Valerie Zachary Ed Eldred
Republican Court of Appeals Judge Valerie Zachary is running to keep her seat against Democratic challenger Ed Eldred , a Carrboro attorney.
Zachary has served on the Court of Appeals since 2015 and has authored approximately 600 opinions.
Eldred practices appellate law and has handled over 300 appeals before the Court of Appeals and the state Supreme Court.
Here's where the vote count stands:
Court of Appeals Seat 15: Chris Freeman Martin Moore
Republican Chris Freeman , who serves as a District Court judge, and Democrat Martin Moore , a Buncombe County commissioner, are running for an open seat on the Court of Appeals.
Freeman, who defeated Judge Hunter Murphy in the Republican primary for this seat, is serving his ninth year as a judge. He is an officer in the United States Air Force JAG Reserves.
In addition to being a county commissioner, Moore practices appellate and mediation law and previously chaired the Buncombe County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council.
Here's where the vote count stands:
