On Monday, State Sen. Graig Meyer (D-Orange) announced he is stepping down from the State Senate to take a new position in public advocacy, heading up the North Carolina Justice Center.
The day after his announcement, Meyer stopped by 97.9 The Hill studios for a conversation with Aaron Keck about that decision, his plans going forward, and his greatest achievements and disappointments from the last 13 years in the General Assembly.
Listen to their conversation here. The transcript below has been edited for clarity.
chapelboroaudio.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/2026/03%20-%20March/10/GRAIG%20MEYER%20-%20031026.mp3Aaron Keck: How did this change come about?
Graig Meyer: Well, this really is the job that I’ve always thought was the one I would most want to be my next step in public service. There’s a lot of ways to do good for the state of North Carolina. So when the Justice Center position became available, I was very excited to apply. As a social worker, I really believe in the power of organizing and using the power of people and their voice and their brilliance to push for the change that you want to get out of your elected officials…
And the Justice Center (has) over 30 years of experience of advocating for more opportunity, a more fair North Carolina, (and) justice for those who need it. … They work on education, healthcare, workers’ rights, economic justice, (and) immigrant rights. They do lobbying and advocacy at the General Assembly and with local governments, but they also do organizing work to try and build a larger movement. And they do litigation – defending people who have been exploited or harmed, like people who might have been exploited by a landlord, for instance, and impact litigation including suing the General Assembly for being unconstitutional. (It’s) done a lot of good for North Carolina. I’m really looking forward to getting to work there.
Outgoing North Carolina District 23 Sen. Graig Meyer (right) joins 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck in studio. (Photo by Aaron Keck/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
Keck: Did they reach out to you and say, “Hey, come on board?” Or did you reach out to them and say, “Hey, I want to come on board?”
Meyer: The interest was mutual. I certainly know a number of people on the board and have worked with them, but as soon as I heard that the previous executive director was leaving, I made sure that the board chairs knew that I was interested.
Keck: (After) 13 years in the state legislature, what are your top achievements? What are you walking away proudest of – and what are your biggest disappointments, or things left undone?
Meyer: I always enjoy the community work the best. I like getting to know people. I like talking to them about what’s going on. I like making connections and trying to figure out if there’s ways that we can support folks in the community. That part’s all been wonderful. The hard part, of course, has been inside the legislative building. I’ve been in the minority the entire time – and I have dozens of bills that I would love to see become law, but were never going to become law with the way that the Republican majorities work. (So) one thing that makes me feel good about this transition is: all those ideas that I’ve had in the legislature, I’ll still have the ability to advocate for those things, (and) try and support legislators who can work on those after me. And I know whoever follows me in this seat, and people who represent this community, will always be on the side of justice. So I’ll have allies I can work with, no matter what.
Keck: Okay, insofar as it feels like a downer to say “my greatest accomplishment is working in the community and nothing to do with what happened in the legislature” – what happened in the legislature that you’re proudest of?
Meyer: I think we played a lot of defense, but I feel good about some of that defense. I think back to the day that the Republicans rolled out the famous bathroom bill, HB2: we only had rumors about what they were going to do, and then when we saw the bill introduced and saw exactly what it was and how terrible it was, I played a pretty pivotal role in getting that out to the public. It was an interesting social media moment where I took photographs of the bill and got it out before it was available publicly otherwise, and had written some notes on it and really framed the opposition with that very first post…
And there’s two bills that we passed that I think will make the biggest difference on North Carolina in the long run. One of course is Medicaid expansion, Governor Cooper’s signature achievement and something there was amazing bipartisan work on. And then the other big bipartisan success was in 2019: House Bill 951, which committed the state to a net zero carbon emissions in the energy sector. And I think it was very surprising we could get that type of climate related legislation done with a Republican majority. I learned more about the legislative process from that bill than any other one. I was one of the main negotiators of what the framework of that bill would become, and it was fascinating to actually be able to get something done and make something come together. I wish I’d had more of that, but that one was really good.
Keck: I know you’ve gotten this comment on social media – and I want to give you a chance to address it, because I have to say I had the same thought as well. You know we have a history in Orange County of state legislators stepping down before their term is up – and then a Democratic Party committee gets to choose the replacement as opposed to the open primary process. There’s a national controversy right now involving Republicans doing the same thing in Montana. I’ve seen folks say, “this is just kind of an icky way to go about doing this.” What do you say to that?
Meyer: This is part of the process. We have it in law. I get it: (people) want an open primary, people would like a chance to run. But they can also do that in two years, the next time the seat is open…
I have a defensive reaction to that, for two reasons. One of them is personal: I’ve done the job for 12 years, for $14,000 a year, and (now) I have a better opportunity for myself, my family, and I think for the state of North Carolina. And so (to) the people who have criticized me for this, I’m like, “look, I’ve done my service. You’re welcome to run for the seat. You can apply for it now. Go for it.” But the second thing is: people say the (appointment) process is not a democratic process, (but) it is a democratic process. The (Democratic Party officials) who are going to make the decision are in elected positions within the party, and they go through an election to make (their) decision. It’s representative democracy, just (like) a legislature is representative democracy. And our political process requires people to be involved at every level, including within your local party to make it work. I understand why people don’t want to join parties – but this is a role of parties, to replace people that have previously been elected. And there is an election within the party, to figure out how to do that. This is a democratic process.
(And) if you want a bigger democratic process, then actually it’s not too late. You can file as an unaffiliated candidate, to be on the ballot this November, if you collect the required number of signatures by July. So there are many ways for people to get on the ballot and get into the seat.
State Sen. Graig Meyer speaks to an event coordinator at Carrboro’s No Kings Day protest in Oct. 2025. (Photo via Matthew Clements/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
Keck: You’ve got three weeks left in the Senate officially. Any plans between now and then?
Meyer: I have a few things that I have to wrap up and transfer over to other people, some legislation that I’ll make sure that other people are ready to carry. One big piece that I’ve been working on behind the scenes is a tax policy proposal to try and increase the amount of funding we have available for things like public schools, public health, sewer and water. We’re going to introduce the idea for a tax on the extremely wealthy in North Carolina, which is a good way to raise money. And then I’ve been very involved with trying to get the university to make the energy conversion away from coal power, and then convert the rail line (which serves UNC’s cogeneration plant) into a multimodal transportation line that can really revolutionize Southern Orange County. And I’ll be around the community saying goodbye to people in this role – but I’m not going away. I’m staying here. I’m going to live here. I’ll still be involved.
Keck: And then last question, (something) you’ve made a central focus of your social media posts: people are looking for motivation and joy in 2026, (but) given everything that’s going on right now, it can be hard for folks. What’s your advice?
Meyer: I tell people, always remember that there’s art and beauty in the world. Those are the ways that I think you recharge your soul, along with whatever things you do spiritually. And then if you’re looking for ways to find joy in political space, because you’re upset and feeling scared and threatened by what is a really dangerous world right now, then find that joy in community. Find ways to be involved with others, through a political party or other action groups where you can make a difference. That could be finding joy in providing direct service to people who need care, like being a mentor or working with an organization like PORCH, to provide people with food. Or it could be joy in helping to organize the next No Kings rally. You can find meaning in resistance. And when people are trying to tell you not to resist, then joy is resistance. And joy is a way to demonstrate that they can’t take away your happiness. They don’t have that much power.
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