North Carolina Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin, the Republican candidate for NC State Supreme Court, will be off the campaign trail for most of the week during a critical second-to-last full week of the campaign because his North Carolina National Guard unit was activated to serve in hurricane relief in western North Carolina.
Griffin is challenging Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs, a Democrat, who was appointed to the position by Gov. Roy Cooper, also a Democrat.
Carolina Journal sent an email to Griffin asking about his election night plans and received an automatic reply:
“I am currently on State Active Duty orders with my role as an Officer in the NC National Guard. This is related to hurricane relief efforts in the western part of North Carolina. Thank you and I look forward to seeing you soon. Judge Griffin.”
Reached by telephone Griffin declined to answer any questions about his absence from the campaign trail or his specific duties for hurricane relief. Griffin told CJ that helping North Carolina citizens recover from the horrific storm “is not political.”
Further, CJ obtained an email Griffin sent to various members of the campaign team:
“During this time, my political activities will be limited by my military status. I will be acting in compliance with DOD Directive 1344.10, as it relates to the campaign,” the email read. “Please keep working hard to get people to the voting polls and finish the campaign strong. I am thankful for each of you.”
“Please keep all our brothers and sisters in the western part of North Carolina in your prayers,” he added.
In Carolina Journal’s latest poll released on Oct. 17, Griffin has narrowly pulled ahead of Riggs among likely voters, leading with 44.7% to Riggs 43.3%, within the margin of error.
“This is of course not the best time for a statewide candidate to be off the campaign trail, but when you are in the military and duty calls, you answer,” said Mitch Kokai, senior political analyst for the John Locke Foundation. “If not for Carolina Journal’s attempt to reach him for an unrelated story, it appears that Griffin was not planning to try to gain any political advantage from his military service.”