Marion Circuit Court Judge Louis Rosenberg issued a temporary stay Friday until a Jan. 3 hearing sought by an attorney for White.

Rosenberg issued an order Thursday reversing the Indiana Recount Commission's unanimous June decision that White was eligible to run for office last year despite questions over his residency.

He ordered the commission to certify Democrat Vop Osili as secretary of state because he received the second most votes in the 2010 election.

Indiana Democratic Party chairman Dan Parker said White should step aside and allow Osili to take office.

White defeated Osili last year by about 340,000 votes.

Indiana State Republican Chairman Eric Holcomb said he would have preferred if White had resigned.

"It certainly will reduce the cynicism of the average ordinary voter who sees this thing dragging on and on," Holcomb said.

White's attorney, former Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi, said he didn’t expect Thursday’s ruling on the civil case to influence the trial or his client’s job, and asked the public to be cautious and allow the appeals process to play out.

“Nothing is going to happen where you will see the secretary of state vacate office and hand it to the Democratic challenger. This is one order, and these orders are subject to review, and that’s what is going to happen,” Brizzi said.