This story originally appeared on NC Newsline. A federal judge on Monday sent Republican Appeals Court Judge Jefferson Griffin’s elections case back to state court, which may leave the outcome of his race in the hands of the GOP majority on the North Carolina Supreme Court.

North Carolina's Supreme Court blocked the election results for one of its own seats as Republican Jefferson Griffin challenges Democrat Allison Riggs's lead.

In his dissent, Justice Richard Dietz wrote that that permitting such a a case “invites incredible mischief” and will “lead to doubts about the finality of vote counts following an election.”