Chapel Hill lawyer and political organizer Jonah Garson, who also serves as the North Carolina Democratic Party's first vice chair, has been appointed to the state Senate in the replacement of former Sen. Graig Meyer, who resigned last month to become executive director of The North Carolina Justice Center, a group that advocates for rights for low-income people and justice system reforms. Garson will serve the remainder of Meyer's term and will face Republican Laura Pichardo in the November general election. The appointment was made by Democratic Gov. Josh Stein after local Democratic Party officials chose Garson over several other candidates seeking Meyer's seat.