This journey to this point was not a normal one,” Justice Anita Earls told the crowd gathered to watch Justice Allison Riggs’ swearing in.

North Carolina Democratic Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs has been sworn in to a new term after her Republican rival challenged the results over six months. Riggs took her oath Tuesday in Raleigh shortly after the State Board of Elections issued an election certificate to her.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections on Tuesday officially certified Allison Riggs as the declared winner of the state Supreme Court race, which has been contested by her competitor since last November.