Don’t be fooled by Jefferson Griffin’s civil concession. He tried to steal an election | Opinion

Jefferson Griffin deserves no credit for finally conceding more than six months after he lost his attempt to be elevated to the North Carolina Supreme Court. During those six months, he undermined democracy and made a joke of the rule of law. But one good thing came of it. He exposed just how committed his fellow North Carolina Republicans are to corruption.

Griffin conceded his race against state Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs two days after a federal judge made plain the absurdity of his attempt to invalidate the votes of North Carolinians who followed every rule while exercising their constitutional right to have a say in their government. There’s little reason to rehash his arguments, other than to note he targeted four Democratically-leaning North Carolina counties to try and steal an election. And let’s not mince words. That’s precisely what Griffin and North Carolina Republican leaders, including those on the state Supreme Court and election board, were doing.

“While I do not fully agree with the District Court’s analysis, I respect the court’s holding — just as I have respected every judicial tribunal that has heard this case,” Griffin said in a statement.

“This effort has always been about upholding the rule of law and making sure that every legal vote in an election is counted,” it continued.

Bull.

He respected nothing but his unquenchable thirst for more power, no matter how much damage he’d have to inflict upon our democracy to satisfy it. He was willing to disenfranchise thousands, maybe tens of thousands of North Carolinians, in his quest. He was willing to turn back the clock to the 1950s when Southern politicians openly and ruthlessly made a mockery of the concept of one man one vote and the principle that we all are created equal.

Don’t be fooled by Griffin’s civil tone.

“I wish my opponent the best and will continue to pray for her and all the members of our court system here in North Carolina,” his statement continued.

I don’t believe that for a second. And neither should you. If he and fellow North Carolina Republicans can conjure up another way to steal an election, whether for a seat on the state Supreme Court, the governorship, or Senate, they’ve made clear they’ll do it.

That’s Griffin’s legacy. That will always be Griffin’s legacy. He’s opened the door to voters’ choices no longer mattering in a state in which Republicans have already gerrymandered their way to more power than they’ve earned.

It’s the kind of thinking that led to the violent insurrection attempt in the heart of our democracy on Jan. 6, 2021. It sets the expectation that politicians don’t have to win over voters, that their powerful buddies will grant them victory even in defeat.

That’s why what happened should not be downplayed. That’s why it must not be downplayed. It doesn’t end with Griffin’s long overdue concession of a race he lost six months ago. It set precedent that will haunt us for decades to come.

If we lived in a healthy democracy, Griffin’s half-year of anti-democratic behavior would lead to his being removed from the state Court of Appeals. He doesn’t deserve that seat. He can’t be trusted to administer the law without fear or favor. He favors himself and those of like-mind.

That the North Carolina Republican Party and Republicans on the state Supreme Court — who’ve revealed themselves as extreme political activists in black robes — supported Griffin through his attempted steal is sobering. Because they retain their power as well, and there’s little reason to believe they won’t continue revealing themselves as corrupt.

But in an era in which Donald Trump was returned to office after inspiring a violent insurrection and has since been busy tearing up the U.S. Constitution, there was an unexpected development. The federal judge who forced Griffin to finally concede was Trump-appointed, proving that it is not impossible to place the protection of democracy above party.

It’s too bad that there seem to be far too few of those types of Republicans in North Carolina.

This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 12:33 PM.