State Officers
Our Party Officers were elected by the governing body of the North Carolina Democratic Party, the State Executive Committee, and work in collaboration with the Party staff to elect Democrats from Murphy to Manteo.
Chair Anderson Clayton
Anderson Clayton serves as the current chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party. Elected at 25 years old, Anderson Clayton is the youngest chair of a state democratic party. Chair Clayton grew up in Roxboro, North Carolina and graduated from Appalachian State University. She worked on Congresswoman Kathy Manning’s congressional campaign, in Iowa as a field organizer for the presidential campaigns of Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren, and then for the Senate campaign of Amy McGrath. Prior to her election as Chair of North Carolina Democratic Party, Chair Clayton served as a chair of the Person County Democratic Party, her hometown county. Chair Clayton resides in Roxboro, NC.
First Vice Chair Jonah Garson
Jonah Garson, a Chapel Hill native, is an attorney, organizer, and current First Vice Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party.
After graduating from UNC (’09), Jonah worked in the NC General Assembly for Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, Rep. Paul Luebke, and Speaker Joe Hackney. Jonah spent time in NY while he attended Columbia Law (‘14); while he was away, he helped to found Team4NC, which mobilized out-of-state donors and volunteers to support NC candidates, particularly those running in races critical to the state’s democratic revival.
Jonah returned to NC to serve as field coordinator for dozens of legislative challengers across the state, and in 2019, he was Voter Protection Director for the special “re-do” election in NC’s 9th Congressional district, re-done due to GOP ballot fraud. He then served as the First Vice Chair and Chair of the Orange County Democratic Party.
Currently, in addition to serving as First Vice Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, Jonah practices law at Parry Law, PLLC, a civil litigation firm based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He also serves as the Governor’s Appointee on the North Carolina Education and Workforce Innovation Commission, and on the Executive Committee of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP, the Board of Visitors for UNC-Chapel Hill, and the International Advisory Board of Carolina Performing Arts.
Second Vice Chair Dr. Kimberly Hardy
Dr. Kimberly Hardy was elected Second Vice-Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party in 2023. She also serves as the 2nd Vice-President for Democratic Women of North Carolina and was President of the Democratic Women of Cumberland County. Dr. Hardy is also a former candidate for the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 43. In addition to her work with the NCDP, Dr. Hardy is a former school social worker who now serves as an Associate Professor at Fayetteville State University’s School of Social Work where she teaches and focuses her research on the intersection of social work, public health, and religion/spirituality. Dr. Hardy earned her PhD & BSW from Morgan State University and her MSW from The Ohio State University.
Third Vice Chair Elijah King
Secretary Melvin Williams
Treasurer Deniese Chaney
Deniese Chaney is the Treasurer of the North Carolina Democratic Party. She also serves as Vice Chair of the Cheeks Precinct in Orange County and previously served as the Assistant Treasurer of the Orange County Democratic Party. A native Tarheel, an avid classic car enthusiast, amateur photographer, and lifelong lover of the UNC Tarheels; she graduated with a Master of Public Health from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. She spent 25 years at UNC Chapel and another 20+ in healthcare management and IT consulting.
Deniese was driven to become politically active after the 2016 elections, realizing she could no longer remain on the sidelines. She believes that as Democrats, we must use all our energy to share our accomplishments, win over voters, and combat misinformation if we expect to have a democracy after the 2024 elections. Deniese is committed to this agenda and bringing her energy and support to the NCDP team to help turn North Carolina Blue and expand our leadership in Washington.
Assoc. of County Chairs President Beth Kendall
Beth Kendall is the President of the North Carolina Democratic Party County Chairs Association where she works to support, connect, and empower county leaders across the state.
A Physician Assistant by training, Beth brings a science-driven, problem-solving mindset to politics. As Chair of the Iredell County Democratic Party since 2020 and a former candidate for County Commissioner, she’s helped build durable local infrastructure, expand volunteer capacity, and prove that deep organizing in red counties can shift conversations, turnout, and expectations.
Beth grew up in rural Wilkes County, graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a BS in Biology and then from Methodist University with a Masters of Physician Assistant Studies. She is a currently practicing PA specializing in Gastroenterology and Hepatology. She lives in southeastern Iredell County with her husband, two stepchildren and two golden retrievers. A marathon runner and CrossFitter, she believes that the persistence required to finish a race is the same persistence democracy demands: showing up, doing the work, and refusing to give up on our communities.