Julie Virginia Mayfield

Julie Virginia Mayfield is the incumbent Democratic State Senator for North Carolina’s 49th District, a seat she has held since being sworn in on January 1, 2021 and which she is seeking to retain in the November 3, 2026 general election. North Carolina State Senators serve four‑year terms, represent their district’s constituents in the General Assembly, and participate in standing committees that shape state policy and budgetary decisions【1†L1-L4】【1†L13-L18】. In the 2025‑2026 session Senator Mayfield serves as the Senate Democratic Caucus Secretary and sits on the Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee; the Appropriations on Agriculture, Natural and Economic Resources Committee; the Health Care Committee; the Senate Transportation Committee; and the Rules and Operations of the Senate Committee【1†L31-L38】.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Mayfield earned a Bachelor of Arts in religion from Davidson College in 1989 and a Juris Doctor from Emory University School of Law in 1996【1†L9-L11】【4†L13-L16】. Early in her career she worked for Amnesty International USA, the Atlanta Community Food Bank, and the Georgia Justice Project, focusing on prisoners’ rights and death‑penalty opposition【4†L20-L24】. She later practiced law at Kilpatrick Stockton, clerked for a federal judge, and directed the Turner Environmental Law Clinic at Emory Law【4†L25-L28】. From 2003 to 2008 she was vice president and general counsel of the Georgia Conservancy, a statewide environmental advocacy organization, before returning to Western North Carolina in 2008 to lead the regional nonprofit MountainTrue as its executive director【4†L30-L34】【18†L9-L13】.

Mayfield entered elected office in 2015 when she won a seat on the Asheville City Council, where she served on the Transit and Multi‑Modal Commissions and helped pass local climate‑action, police‑reform, and affordable‑housing measures【4†L36-L38】【18†L1-L5】. She announced her candidacy for the state Senate in March 2019, won the Democratic primary in March 2020, and was elected in November 2020, succeeding Terry Van Duyn【4†L40-L45】. She was re‑elected in 2022 and again in 2024, defeating Republican Kristie Sluder with 69.1% of the vote【1†L57-L62】. In the 2026 cycle the Democratic primary was canceled, and she advanced automatically to the November ballot opposite Republican C.J. Domingo【1†L45-L50】.

During her tenure Senator Mayfield has sponsored a range of legislation reflecting her environmental, health‑care, and social‑justice priorities. Notable bills include SB 94 to repeal the death penalty, SB 110 (North Carolina Work and Save), SB 65 to restore down‑zoning in Buncombe County, and SB 166 to repeal limitations on auxiliary containers【3†L73-L84】. She has also championed bills to expand Medicaid, protect LGBTQ+ rights, eliminate the “pink tax” on menstrual products, and promote a living‑wage standard, as outlined on her campaign’s issue pages【8†L1-L20】.

Mayfield’s public statements emphasize a “practical progressive” approach: protecting the environment through clean‑energy legislation such as H951, improving water quality in the French Broad River, and opposing corporate‑driven health‑care consolidation. She positions herself as a defender of reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ equality, and voting access, and she frequently highlights her work building coalitions across the aisle while maintaining progressive values【6†L9-L15】【11†L13-L20】.

Outside the legislature, Mayfield remains involved with MountainTrue as a senior policy advisor and continues to serve on regional boards, including the North Carolina Conservation Network and the Western North Carolina chapter of the ACLU【18†L14-L18】. She lives in West Asheville with her spouse, attorney Jim Grode, and maintains strong ties to the community she represents.

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