As Democrats meet this weekend to decide who should fill the vacancy left by state Sen. Graig Meyer of Orange County, some in the party are cautioning against one of the top candidates for the job.
In interviews, three Senate Democrats and two other officials said they fear state Democratic Party Vice Chair Jonah Garson would create instability in Raleigh at a time when the caucus needs to be united. They cited negative personal interactions with Garson, a 2024 incident in which he was kicked out of a Chapel Hill bar, and an anonymous email sent to State Executive Committee members last year alleging Garson used cocaine at party events.
“I do have serious concerns that if the repeated allegations against Jonah are true, they are disqualifying, and that’s not a risk we can take,” said Sen. Sophia Chitlik of Durham County.
Garson says that he has never used cocaine and that he got kicked out of the Chapel Hill bar after confronting a bartender for allegedly serving an underage college student. He cites a litany of endorsements as evidence of his ability to get along well with others.
“Anyone who’s ever worked with me knows that I’m a collaborative team player, and knows that I’ve been doing collaborative, behind-the-scenes work to move us all forward for years,” Garson said in an interview. “I stand by my work, I stand by my relationships, and if folks have questions about that work and the relationships, I would refer them to my list of all the people who have supported me.”
Chitlik, who represents the district adjacent to Meyer’s, has endorsed state Rep. Allen Buansi but said she’d also be happy for state Rep. Renée Price to fill the vacancy. Meyer resigned from the General Assembly on Tuesday to lead the North Carolina Justice Center. The appointee will also replace Meyer on the November ballot. With it being a safe Democratic district based on voting history, whoever local Democrats choose will effectively serve in the Senate through 2028.
“We cannot afford to be distracted in any way, so we need someone out of the gate who can step up on Day 1. Allen and Price can step into the role,” she said.
Two other Senate Democrats who declined to be named expressed concerns about Garson’s conduct and said officials in Orange, Person, and Caswell counties tasked with choosing Meyer’s successor this weekend should factor the allegations into their decision and directly confront him about them.
A Democratic official, one of two who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation, called Garson “aggressive” and said they have found it difficult to work with him.
The backlash against Garson follows a familiar pattern.
Days before Garson’s reelection as vice chair last year, an individual sent an unsigned email to party officials accusing him of drug use, inappropriate behavior, and exaggerating claims about his record of achievement. Garson forcefully denied the allegations at the time, calling them “false, defamatory, [and] ugly.”
Garson was the only vice chair facing a contested reelection bid in 2025. Despite the backlash, he held onto his seat, securing 59% of the vote. But Garson also fared far worse than other incumbents in contested elections. Chairwoman Anderson Clayton was reelected with 85% of the vote, while Secretary Melvin Williams won with 78% of the vote.
Meyer, the departing state senator who said he won’t endorse a successor for his seat, defended Garson in the leadup to last year’s vote, saying, “Anyone who is going to make libelous accusations like this without putting their actual name on it is a f***ing p***y and they deserve to be sued.”
With another vote days away, Garson’s fellow Democrats are renewing concerns.
“This is politics at its worst,” Garson said.
Disclaimer: Chitlik’s father-in-law, Adam Abram, is chair of the board of directors for The Assembly, which owns INDY.
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