Certification halted for North Carolina Supreme Court race

 

Tuesday, January 7 As the inauguration approaches, we remain committed to holding the next administration accountable. Our focus will always be on putting readers first — sign up to become a premium member for $120/year and stay updated while helping us fight for a stronger democracy! North Carolina Supreme Court Republicans halt certification of race Today, the Supreme Court of North Carolina blocked the certification of a race for a seat on its own court and will hear a case challenging the State Board of Elections’ decision to reject the losing GOP candidate's challenges to over 60,000 ballots. “The crisis of democracy didn’t end with [President-elect Donald] Trump’s victory—it got worse,” Ben Wikler, candidate for chair of the Democratic National Committee, said on X. “When North Carolina’s state Supreme Court is blocking certification of a state Supreme Court election, the house is on fire.” Watch Marc’s interview with Wikler about his bid to lead the Democratic Party here. Speaking of DNC chair candidate interviews… In the second interview in our DNC candidate chair series, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Chair Ken Martin joined Marc to discuss how he would "reimagine" the DNC, specifically by “getting the DNC out of D.C.” Judge Cannon blocks release of Jack Smith’s report on Trump Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon blocked the release of special counsel Jack Smith's final report on the investigations into Trump's Florida documents and Washington, D.C. election subversion cases until the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules on a similar request. Smith filed a motion at the end of November to dismiss the election subversion case without prejudice — meaning it can be refiled in the future — in light of Trump’s reelection. The court granted the motion the same day, ending the case. In a press conference today, Trump commented on the cases the DOJ brought against him, arguing that “it was all to influence the election,” and “a fight against their political opponent.” Courts are the last guardrail In the incoming Trump administration, anti-democratic actors will wield huge power in the executive and legislative branches. However, in a new op-ed, Marc argued the judiciary remains a strong safeguard and guardrail for democracy. Want to check out more pro-democracy op-eds? From politicians to activists to lawyers, our guest authors brought unique perspectives to the biggest debates surrounding democracy. Read here to find all of the opinion pieces from the diverse voices Democracy Docket featured in 2024.