Jonah Garson, vice president of the state Democratic Party, is the next senator for Caswell, Orange and Person counties, following Graig Meyer's departure to lead the North Carolina Justice Center.
Garson was nominated Saturday over four other candidates: state representatives Allen Buansi and Renée Price, Persona local official Kenneth Perry, and attorney Sheila Mikhail
The decision was made by a senatorial selection committee, composed of two delegates from each county.
Five committee members voted for Garson, and one from Person County voted for Representative Buansi. Representative Price and Officer Perry received no votes from the committee.
Garson's Priorities
During his presentation to the committee, Garson emphasized the importance of the right to vote, the Medicaid expansion and the equitable access to education.
“It’s about everything, from democracy and the voting rights "From healthcare, K-12 education, farm loss and protection of farmworkers, food security, and rights and justice for immigrants," Garson said. previously a Enlace Latino NC .
These priorities, he told this publication, also reflect the reality of a state with a latin population rapidly growing.
“This is a state that saw a 50% increase in its Latino and Hispanic voting population over the past decade… we need state legislators who understand that their job is to build political power from this growing bloc and who understand that this population is by no means a monolith,” he added.
Before being appointed senator, Garson was vice president of the state Democratic Party and a member of the Orange County planning board. He also practiced law in Chapel Hill, specializing in commercial and civil litigation.
Related: Graig Meyer steps down from the North Carolina Senate to lead the NC Justice Center
Message to the community
In a video posted on social media, Garson thanked his supporters, the committee, and Meyer for his 12 years of legislative service.
I am honored/humbled/thrilled to be our Senator-designate for Caswell, Orange, & Person Counties.
— Jonah Garson (@JonahGarsonNC) April 5, 2026
Happy Easter to those celebrating tomorrow, chag sameach to those observing Passover w/ me, & here's to the hard work ahead.
In the meantime, some sleep for yours truly#ncpol pic.twitter.com/vI3Xgn6f9k
“Thank you to everyone who supported this campaign, wrote letters of recommendation, provided endorsements, and helped put together the best possible application for this challenging position,” he said. “We have a lot of work ahead of us, and I’m excited to do it with you.”
North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton congratulated Garson and thanked the committee for their work in the selection.
“I am ready to continue the work across the state and ensure that Democrats and the people of North Carolina remain united to defeat the Republicans this November,” he added in X's post.
Congratulations @JonahGarsonNC, our new State Senator from SD-23! Senator Garson will succeed @GraigMeyer who announced his resignation last month.
—Anderson Clayton☀️ (@abreezeclayton) April 4, 2026
I'm grateful to the senatorial committee members from Orange, Person, and Caswell counties who played a role in this process.
First public office
The governor is the one who ultimately appoints Garson to serve the remainder of the term.
The position in the state Senate will mark the first time Garson has held public office.
In 2022, he unsuccessfully attempted to defeat Buansi in the Democratic primaries for District 56 of the House of Representatives.
Garson will appear on the November ballot in a predominantly Democratic district, facing a Republican opponent.
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