North Carolina legislative leaders will challenge a trial judge’s decision allowing a state Supreme Court candidate accused by some of masquerading as a Republican for electoral mischief to appear on the ballot with a GOP designation.

Spokesmen for Republican House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger said Tuesday the legislators plan to appeal Monday’s ruling in favor of candidate Chris Anglin to the state Court of Appeals.

The judge halted enforcement of a new law removing any party designation next to the names of Anglin and a few other judicial candidates because they had switched their affiliation too close to filing. Anglin and a District Court candidate sued last week.

Anglin — who was a Democrat three weeks before filing — says the law unfairly targeted him.