The case, in which Republican Jefferson Griffin seeks to overturn his apparent loss to Democrat Allison Riggs, will now be heard by a federal appeals court.

In some of his first post-gubernatorial remarks on state politics, Roy Cooper condemned Judge Jefferson Griffin’s ongoing election lawsuit as an “egregious attack on the right to vote” that threatens to disenfranchise tens of thousands of North Carolinians.

Both federal and state courts will likely consider key issues regarding the race between Democratic Justice Allison Riggs and Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin.