Orange County state senator stepping down. What’s next for Graig Meyer and his seat.
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- Democratic Sen. Graig Meyer will resign March 31 to lead the N.C. Justice Center.
- Meyer will start April 8 to advance education, housing, workers and justice policy.
- Orange, Caswell and Person Dem. parties will nominate; Gov. Stein will appoint.
Democratic state Sen. Graig Meyer is ending his run for a second term and will step down later this month to lead the N.C. Justice Center in advocating for economic opportunity and racial equity statewide.
After 12 years in the General Assembly’s minority party, he is looking for an opportunity to go on the offensive for the issues he cares about the most, Meyer said Monday. His resignation will be effective March 31, and he will start his new position April 8.
“I think that we do need to turn the corner out of this conservative era that North Carolina has been in for the last 15 years,” Meyer said. “I think that there are signs that we’re ready to do so, and there’s no organization that’s more important to that work than the Justice Center. So I’ll get to go work on all the same policy areas that I care about, but avoid the internal politics of the General Assembly and not have to be running for election anymore.”
Meyer, who represents Orange, Person and Caswell counties, did not have a primary opponent in this year’s election. He would have faced Republican candidate Laura Pichardo in the Nov. 3 general election.
Senate Democratic Leader Sydney Batch said Meyer “has been a steady public servant and a zealous advocate” for his constituents and for families across the state.
“In the Senate chamber, Sen. Meyer has been one of our most vocal messengers, always ready to stand up for North Carolinians, and speak to the truth that everyone deserves a fair shot to build a purposeful life in our great state,” Batch said. “While we will miss his partnership and presence in the Senate, we know he will continue advocating for the people of NC in his new role.”
Meyer said he did not know when he filed for reelection in December whether he would get the N.C. Justice Center role.
The Democratic parties in Orange, Caswell and Person counties will accept applications from potential candidates through March 28, and the party’s State Senatorial District Committee — two members from each county — will submit a nominee to Democratic Gov. Josh Stein for his appointment.
Committee votes are weighted, depending on the number of voters in each county’s portion of the district.
Meyer’s Senate replacement needs to be in place by April 20 when the General Assembly convenes for the 2026 short session, said Lynn McGee, chair of the Orange County Democratic Party. She’s working with party chairs in Caswell and Person counties and the state Democratic Party to finalize the details, but a decision is possible by the first week of April.
The committee can also nominate someone to appear on the November ballot.
Meyer was appointed in the same way to his N.C. House District 50 seat in 2013 when former state lawmaker Valerie Foushee replaced former state Sen. Ellie Kinnaird. Foushee now serves the 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Meyer, in his Substack blog, said he won’t nominate anyone to replace him, but he did suggest a focus on someone who knows the district and can represent it well, someone who can fundraise and help other candidates in the state get elected, and someone who can “do the important work of discerning what is right, taking that action, and making a clear and convincing case for why they did.”
Career focused on rights, opportunity
Meyer served eight years in the House before being elected to the N.C. Senate in 2022. A social worker by training, he is co-founder of The Equity Collaborative LLC and the former coordinator of the Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate program and director of student equity for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.
At the N.C. Justice Center, he will lead a 30-year-old nonprofit organization focused on six major policy areas: education, health, workers rights, immigrant and refugee rights, criminal justice, and housing, energy and consumer advocacy.
The work is done in the courtroom, by lobbying lawmakers and elected officials, analyzing complex issues and developing policy recommendations, and working with local communities to fight for change.
“Graig has spent his career fighting for North Carolina families and expanding opportunity in our state,” Letha Muhammad and Matt Case, co-chairs of the NC Justice Center Board of Directors, said in a news release.
“His experience as an educator, social worker, and legislative leader reflects the values that guide the NC Justice Center’s work. We are excited to welcome him as Executive Director and confident that his leadership will strengthen the organization’s impact and partnerships across North Carolina.”
Meyer said on Substack that he sees the Justice Center as a core part of the movement toward progressive state policies.
“I believe that building a progressive North Carolina requires far more than political organizing and effective politicians. It requires all of us, engaged and organized,” he said.
This story was originally published March 9, 2026 at 11:04 AM with the headline "Orange County state senator stepping down. What’s next for Graig Meyer and his seat.."
