Running in new Wake district: A Democratic senator, and a Republican who sued Tim Moore

A day after new North Carolina election maps became law, a Democrat and Republican are already vying for a new Senate seat in southern Wake County.

One candidate is the Democratic senator drawn out of her current district in northern Raleigh, and the other is the Republican local official who sued House Speaker Tim Moore over the breakup of the official’s marriage.

Republicans placed state Sen. Lisa Grafstein, a Raleigh Democrat, in the same district as another lawmaker, or “double-bunked” them, in the new state Senate map that passed the General Assembly on Wednesday. So she’s moving to a different district to run in 2024 — a newly drawn state Senate District 13 in southern Wake County. She’s the only declared Democratic primary candidate so far.

Republican Scott Lassiter announced his run for the new Senate seat hours after the maps became law. Lassiter is a former Apex Town Council member, and he sued Moore earlier this year for “alienation of affection” for having a sexual relationship with Lassiter’s wife, Jamie Liles Lassiter.

The lawsuit ended a few weeks after it was filed, with both sides saying only that it was “resolved.” The lawsuit also alleged that Moore traded political favors for sexual favors. Moore acknowledged what he told The News & Observer was an “on-again, off-again” relationship with Liles Lassiter, saying he thought she was separated from her husband. Moore has been divorced for several years.

Doubled-bunked Sen. Grafstein will move

Partisan gerrymandering isn’t illegal in the state, and Republicans — who have a supermajority in the legislature — redrew some Democratic lawmakers’ districts to make it more difficult for them to win reelection.

Grafstein, a freshman lawmaker, lives in northern Raleigh and was double-bunked with Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, the Democratic whip who has served more than four terms in the Senate. Grafstein previously told The N&O that she might move to a new southern Wake County district without an incumbent, and would make a final decision on Thursday.

“Wake County has been my home for 33 years. It’s the honor of my life to represent our community in the North Carolina Senate, and I intend to continue my public service,” she said in her announcement Thursday morning, in which she also criticized Republicans for gerrymandering.

Grafstein is a lawyer and the only LGBTQ+ senator, who has spoken frequently against Republican-sponsored bills that targeted transgender athletes and youth. She said that Republican lawmakers “spent our legislative time waging culture wars.”

Graftstein also said that her Republican colleagues “believe only in their own power. And they know they can’t win without rigging the maps.”

“As a result of the chopping and carving of our Wake County Senate districts, I will be seeking reelection in Senate District 13 in 2024. I look forward to meeting new neighbors, making new friends, and reconnecting with others I have known for years. I intend to run a spirited campaign focused on the issues that matter most to you and your family. I look forward to meeting you, earning your trust, and your vote,” she said.

Grafstein supports legislation to “make housing more affordable to families across North Carolina, to put more money in the pockets of working people, and to ensure our kids can thrive in quality day care settings.”

She said the people of Wake County “want our kids to have a world class education and to have more opportunity than the generation that preceded them. We want to drop them off at school without fear that it’s the last hug we share. We want women to control our own bodies and our own future, without politicians forcing their way between us and our doctors. We want good paying jobs and housing that’s affordable. I can tell you this: none of these concerns or aspirations are priorities of Republicans in the North Carolina Senate.”

Scott Lassiter is new GOP candidate

Lassiter also ran briefly for state House in 2022. A Wake County soil and water supervisor, he is now running in the district that includes parts of Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Garner and Holly Springs.

In his announcement, Lassiter highlighted his work in education.

“The fact is there is a lack of public education experience and knowledge in the General Assembly. As a practicing public school administrator at a school specially designed to support at-risk students, no one on Jones Street has the unique perspective, education, or experiences that I will bring to the discussion. I am ready to serve. I’m ready to do what it takes to make our schools the pride of the nation,” he said.

Lassiter’s campaign announcement says he will “work tirelessly to attack problems, not people, both now and once elected,” and that his policy will focus on education, infrastructure, and economic opportunity.

“There are plenty of folks who can talk-the-talk but our district’s savvy voters are looking for someone who has walked-the-walk. I know our best days can be ahead of us, and I will use common-sense conservatism to make that a reality,” Lassiter said.

Candidate filing for the 2024 elections runs from Dec. 4 to Dec. 15. The primary is March 5.