Senator Lisa Grafstein

Lisa Grafstein is a Democratic state senator representing District 13 in Wake County, North Carolina. She is 57 years old and has served in the North Carolina State Senate since 2023. Grafstein is notably the only out LGBTQ+ member of the North Carolina State Senate.

As a civil rights attorney, Grafstein has dedicated her career to advocating for marginalized communities. She has represented individuals facing employment discrimination, voting rights violations, denial of access to public accommodations, and constitutional rights violations. Her work has focused particularly on workers' rights, civil rights, and the rights of people with disabilities.

Education

Grafstein is a graduate of Northwestern University and earned her law degree from UNC Chapel Hill School of Law.

Political Experience

Grafstein began her legal career in 1995 as a civil rights lawyer. She ran her own law firm for 16 years before joining Disability Rights North Carolina, a non-profit organization where she litigates cases to enforce the rights of people with disabilities to live and work free from discrimination.

In the North Carolina Senate, Grafstein was first elected in 2022 by a margin of nearly 30 percentage points and was reelected in 2024 with just over 50 percent of the vote. Her legislative priorities include health care, reproductive freedom, workers' rights and fair wages, affordable housing, and support for public school teachers and students. During the 2025-2026 legislative session, she sponsored 25 bills, including measures codifying the right to use contraception and enabling local governments to enact rent control.