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The chairman of the Democratic National Committee joined North Carolina's former governor and head of the state's Democratic Party to denounce a Republican candidate's attempts to invalidate more than 60,000 ballots in a tight state Supreme Court race.

A federal appeals court has agreed to hear more arguments involving a close election in November for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday scheduled oral arguments for Jan. 27 and briefing deadlines.

Attorney Craig Schauer, who represents Republican state Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin, went before a Wake County judge earlier this week without opposing counsel present to get an order blocking certification of the election. Griffin is trying to have more than 60,000 ballots invalidated in his race to unseat incumbent Democratic state Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs.

One of the high court's conservative justices dissented from an order blocking certification of an election in which a Democratic incumbent justice leads a GOP challenger.

Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin is getting what he wanted: To have the heavily conservative state Supreme Court decide whether to invalidate more than 60,000 ballots and possibly reverse his electoral loss to unseat North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs

Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin trails Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs in their race for a seat on the state Supreme Court, but Griffin says that very tribunal should handle his effort to invalidate more than 60,000 ballots

Republican North Carolina Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin is trying to convince a federal district court judge that a legal battle over his disputed race belongs in state court.

Attorneys for the North Carolina State Board of Elections and Republican state Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin have asked a federal judge to expedite a hearing on Griffin's effort to invalidate more than 60,000 ballots in his contest with Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs

Judge Richard E. Myers II of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina has denied Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin's request for a temporary restraining order to block certification of his electoral loss to Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs in the race for a seat on the state Supreme Court

North Carolina’s elections board has dismissed protests filed by several Republican candidates trailing narrowly in their races last month who have questioned well over 60,000 ballots cast this fall. The Democratic-majority board agreed Wednesday to throw out the protests of GOP Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin and three legislative candidates.