Lawsuit Claims Judicial Retention Elections Are Unconstitutional

North Carolina's method of selecting Supreme Court justices is being challenged in court, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.

This summer, Gov. Pat McCrory signed a bill into law that changes how sitting Supreme Court justices keep their seats. Instead of running against other candidates, they'll now participate in retention elections.

That means the next justice up for re-election would not face any challengers. Instead, there would be an up-or-down vote on whether the judge gets another term.

But this lawsuit claims retention elections are unconstitutional in North Carolina – that they're not real elections, but referenda.

The plaintiffs say that violates the state constitution because it doesn't allow any opposition candidates to run against the sitting judge.

They want the law struck down and replaced with nonpartisan elections.

The next incumbent up for reelection is Associate Justice Bob Edmunds in 2016.