Attorney Vernetta Alston, a Democratic candidate running to represent District 29 in the North Carolina House of Representatives, has been appointed to the seat. Gov. Roy Cooper (D) appointed Alston on April 13 following the death of late representative MaryAnn Black in March.
Alston is an attorney who also served on the Durham City Council up until her appointment to the North Carolina House. She resigned from her municipal position to join the state legislature. The Democratic and Republican primaries for District 29 were canceled because fewer than two candidates filed to run in each race, meaning Alston is running unopposed for re-election to the seat in November.
As of April 2020, there have been 44 state legislative vacancies in 27 states. Twenty-one vacancies have been filled. Of those incumbents, all but five have filed to run for re-election in 2020. Two of the five have term end dates in 2023. Two more are in states whose filing deadlines for their seats have passed (North Carolina and Idaho), and one was just appointed this week in a state where the filing deadline has not yet passed (Vermont).
Additional reading: MaryAnn Black State legislative vacancies, 2020
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