Allison Riggs appears to have narrowly won her reelection race. But two of the justices who may decide the case have spouses who donated to her challenger.

Monday’s arguments will center on whether the case should be decided by state or federal courts — a decision which could be crucial in whether the results of the race are ultimately overturned.

In this moment of crisis, the courts have become the final guardrail against the forces of authoritarianism that seek to undermine the will of the voters.

During oral arguments in federal court Monday, lawyers for North Carolina's two candidates in a still-undecided election for state Supreme Court sparred with a trio of federal judges, who peppered them with intense questioning — over the issue of who should have the final say in a lawsuit that could decide the fate of the election.

Three judges on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, heard, among others, from attorneys for Democratic Justice Allison Riggs, trailing Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin and the State Board of Elections,