Lisa Grafstein

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Lisa Grafstein

| state_senate = North Carolina

| state = North Carolina

| district = 13th

| termstart = January 1, 2023

| predecessor = Constituency established

| education = Northwestern University (BA)
University of North Carolina School of Law (JD)

| party = Democratic

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|09|07}}

| image = Lisa Grafstein 2023.jpg

}}

Lisa Grafstein (born 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as a member of the North Carolina Senate from the 13th district since 2023. She is a civil rights attorney specializing in employment law. She was the litigation counsel of Disability Rights North Carolina. As of 2023, she is the only out LGBTQ North Carolina state senator.

Life

Grafstein was born in 1966.{{Cite news |last=Ingram |first=Kyle |date=October 8, 2022 |title=Lisa Grafstein, candidate for NC Senate District 13 |work=The News & Observer |url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/voter-guide/article266779816.html |access-date=2023-08-16}} She earned a B.A. in English from Northwestern University.{{Cite news |date=1993-04-25 |title=Neighbors part 2 N&O 4/25/1993 |pages=72 |work=The News and Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-and-observer-neighbors-part-2-n/129703374/ |access-date=2023-08-17}} In 1993, while completing law school, Grafstein spoke in support of gay rights. She completed a J.D. from University of North Carolina School of Law.

Grafstein is a civil rights attorney from Raleigh, North Carolina. She specializes in employment law.{{Cite news |last=Biesecker |first=Michael |date=2009-12-18 |title=Rand did no wrong, report to LEA finds |pages=23 |work=The News and Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-and-observer-rand-did-no-wrong/130150914/ |access-date=2023-08-17 |via=Newspapers.com}} In 2022, she was working as the litigation counsel of a nonprofit organization, Disability Rights North Carolina.

A Democrat, Grafstein ran successfully in the 2022 North Carolina Senate election for the 13th district. She defeated city council member Patrick Buffkin in the primary election and retired engineer David Bankert and political scientist Michael Munger in the general election.{{Cite news |date=2022-10-27 |title=Our choices for state Senate in Wake County |pages=A7 |work=The Herald-Sun |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-herald-sun-our-choices-for-state-sen/130150644/ |access-date=2023-08-17 |via=Newspapers.com}} On March 7, 2023, she introduced Bill 225 aimed at permitting North Carolina municipalities to enact rent regulation.{{Cite news |last=Ramsey |first=Mary |date=2023-03-30 |title=Bill proposed in state Senate would legalize rent control |pages=A7 |work=The Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-observer-bill-proposed-in/130151054/ |access-date=2023-08-17 |via=Newspaper.com}} In June 2023, she expressed skepticism over a proposal to introduce a photo ID requirement for all voters including by mail.{{Cite web |last=Henkel |first=Clayton |date=2023-06-12 |title=Senator Lisa Grafstein shares her worries about proposed election law changes |url=https://ncnewsline.com/2023/06/12/senator-lisa-grafstein-shares-her-worries-about-proposed-election-law-changes/ |access-date=2023-08-17 |website=NC Newsline |language=en-US}}{{PD-notice}} She also worried about the potential impacts of a fast-moving bill to legalize video sports gambling. In July 2023, she opposed the Republican-led ban on gender-affirming care.{{Cite web |last=Schoenbaum |first=Hannah |date=2023-08-16 |title=Veto overridden: Ban on gender-affirming care for minors takes effect in North Carolina |url=https://apnews.com/article/transgender-health-care-veto-override-north-carolina-536351cc360a92cdd21f298f6212e6d2 |access-date=2023-08-17 |website=AP News |language=en}} As of 2023, she is the only out LGBTQ North Carolina state senator.

Electoral history

{{Election box begin no change|title=North Carolina Senate 13th district Democratic primary election, 2022[https://er.ncsbe.gov/?election_dt=05/17/2022&county_id=0&office=NCS&contest=1880] North Carolina State Board of Elections.}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Lisa Grafstein|votes=11,931|percentage=66.59%}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Patrick Buffkin|votes=5,987|percentage=33.41%}}

{{Election box begin no change|title=North Carolina Senate 13th district general election, 2022[https://er.ncsbe.gov/?election_dt=11/08/2022&county_id=0&office=NCS&contest=1294] North Carolina State Board of Elections.

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| candidate = Lisa Grafstein

| votes = 50,937

| percentage = 62.34%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| candidate = David Bankert

| votes = 28,001

| percentage = 34.27%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Libertarian Party (United States)

| candidate = Michael Munger

| votes = 2,769

| percentage = 3.39%

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 81,707

| percentage = 100%

}}

{{Election box new seat win

| winner = Democratic Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box begin no change|title=North Carolina Senate 13th district general election, 2024https://er.ncsbe.gov/?election_dt=11/05/2024&county_id=0&office=NCS&contest=1315North Carolina State Board of Elections.

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| candidate = Lisa Grafstein

| votes = 64,074

| percentage = 50.21%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| candidate = Scott Lassiter

| votes = 59,829

| percentage = 46.89%