Local Democrats pick new state senator for district in Wake, Granville counties

Local Democratic Party leaders have picked a new state senator for a district representing Granville and northern Wake counties — a seat that's expected to be one of the most important anywhere in North Carolina in the 2026 midterms. 

The seat was vacant following the abrupt resignation of former state Sen. Terence Everitt two weeks ago.

Haseeb Fatmi will replace Everitt in the Senate, as well as on the ballot in November, following a vote Thursday night by local Wake and Granville Democratic Party officials.

Fatmi is an experienced corporate attorney but a political newcomer. He won his first election late last year, to the Wake Forest Town Commission. The remaining Wake Forest commissioners will need to now vote on who they want to replace Fatmi on the town board.

As he seeks a full term in the state Senate, Fatmi will face off in November against fellow local lawyer Republican Chris Stock, and Libertarian nominee Brad Hessel.

The race is expected to be hotly contested and closely watched. Everitt won the seat in 2024 by only about 100 votes, and Democrats likely need to keep it if they want any hope of breaking Republicans' supermajority in the Senate this year. Only a handful of the 50 Senate seats are expected to be competitive, but Democrats can break the GOP supermajority if they retain their current seats and also flip one Republican-held seat. Their main target is the district around Rocky Mount.

Sen. Sydney Batch, D-Wake, the top Senate Democrat, said keeping the Granville-Wake seat is a top priority as she congratulated Fatmi for being chosen for it.

"This is a serious moment for people across North Carolina who are under a lot of pressure right now, and who are looking to Raleigh to take their concerns seriously," Batch wrote. "District 18 is one of the seats that will determine whether we can do the important work ahead."

Stock told WRAL on Friday he's ready for the matchup with Fatmi.

"Families in Wake and Granville Counties deserve a candidate who is focused on issues that are impacting them directly," Stock said in a written statement. "Cost of living, capping property taxes, and improving quality of life are major concerns for families, new residents, and seniors. I’m ready to deliver results on day one."

Democrats already broke the GOP supermajority in the state House of Representatives, in 2024. Doing the same in the Senate would give Democratic Gov. Josh Stein's veto threats more power.