Orange County commissioner turned NC House member is third to seek Senate seat
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Rep. Renee Price joins field seeking Sen. Graig Meyer’s District 23 seat.
- Orange, Caswell, Person committees' district panel will nominate to Gov. Stein.
- If Price is appointed, an Orange–Caswell House committee will pick the Nov. nominee.
A third Orange County Democrat jumped in the ring Wednesday to fill a soon-to-be vacant N.C. Senate seat and be on the November ballot.
N.C. Rep. Renée Price, who represents Orange and Caswell counties in the House, announced her intent to seek N.C. Sen. Graig Meyer’s Senate District 23 seat in a news release Wednesday. Meyer announced Monday he is stepping down March 31 to become executive director of the N.C. Justice Center.
Price joins Rep. Allen Buansi and Jonah Garson, N.C. Democratic Party first vice chair, who announced their applications to fill the seat Tuesday.
Hillsborough Town Board member Matt Hughes, a former Orange County Democratic Party chair and Democratic National Committee member, posted Tuesday on Facebook that he will not seek the Senate seat, despite encouragement from supporters.
“I am grateful for the many people who have asked whether I would consider seeking the appointment,” Hughes said in the post. “After thoughtful consideration, I will not be submitting my name to the Democratic Party for appointment to fill the remainder of the term, nor will I seek the party’s nomination to replace Senator Meyer in this year’s election.”
Price was first elected to the House in 2022 after serving on the Orange County Board of Commissioners for 10 years, including as chair. She is a member of the N.C. Black Alliance Board of Trustees, the Eno River State Park Advisory Committee, and the Alamance-Orange Prison Ministry Advisory Board.
She is also co-founder of Spirit Freedom, a nonprofit telling Orange County’s history through stories of people of color and promoting understanding through the arts, and the Orange County Community Remembrance Coalition, which recognizes victims of racial terror lynchings.
Price defeated challenges from Mary Lucas and Brandall Redd in the March 3 primary to all but guarantee reelection to her House seat. She is not facing a Republican challenger in the November general election.
While she is “grateful for the opportunity” to represent District 50 and enjoyed collaborating with other House lawmakers, Price said, her experiences “have provided me with a wealth of information and insight regarding the diverse issues, concerns and values of an ever broadening and multi-faceted community.”
The N.C. Senate is “another opportunity for me to serve,” she said.
“The voices of small-town USA and rural America must be heard and acknowledged in the N.C. Legislature, and I pledge to persist in standing up and speaking out so that everyone has access to, and benefits from, the resources available to fulfill their dreams,” Price said. “Together, we must maintain our pursuit of a sound basic education for all, affordable housing, universal healthcare, resources for mental and behavioral health, climate change mitigation, universal broadband, support for farmers and small businesses, economic development, criminal justice reforms, and more.”
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, just before 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.
If Price is chosen to fill the Senate seat, a state House of Representatives district committee comprised of members from Orange and Caswell counties would nominate someone to appear on the November ballot for District 50.
This story was originally published March 11, 2026 at 12:44 PM.
