Vernetta Alston

Vernetta Alston is an American Democratic politician and attorney. She served on the Durham City Council from 2017 to 2020, when she succeeded MaryAnn Black in the North Carolina House of Representatives.

Early life and education Alston was born in Durham, North Carolina, and grew up in Cary. She attended Immaculata Catholic School, a private school run by the Order of Friars Minor in Durham. She graduated from Cardinal Gibbons High School, a private Catholic high school in Raleigh. She attended North Carolina State University for undergraduate school and received a J.D. degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law.

Career Law Alston is an attorney, and worked as a staff attorney with N.C. Prison Legal Services and with the North Carolina Center for Death Penalty Litigation for over five years. While serving on the council, she supported a $95 million affordable housing bond. The invitation was rescinded after there were threats to protest the event due to Alston and Johnson being openly gay public officials. Fr. Christopher VanHaight, the pastor at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and Head of Immaculata Catholic School, said he made the decision to rescind the invitation after receiving messages from some school parents voicing concern about having a "pro-gay marriage" politician speak at the school, claiming that Alston speaking would "question the school's commitment to upholding Catholic moral teaching." VanHaight later issued an apology and re-invited Alston to speak at the school.

After the death of North Carolina General Assembly member MaryAnn Black in 2020, Durham Democratic Party officials recommended that Governor Roy Cooper appoint Alston to the vacant seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives. Alston officially resigned from the Durham City Council in April 2020 and was sworn in to the North Carolina House of Representatives on April 14, 2020. They have two children. They live in Hope Valley Country Club.