Michael Morgan, one of the two Democrats on the N.C. Supreme Court, announced Thursday he will be stepping down from his position on the court the week of Sept. 4.
"With the help of my outstanding staff, all of my opinions & assignments have been completed as the Court acts on them and concludes its current cycle in the coming days," Morgan said in a post on X.
Morgan announced in May that he would not be running for reelection to the state supreme court.
Morgan, who has been working in state government for 44 years, has been considering a run for the open governor seat in 2024, but has not officially declared his candidacy. If he runs, he would meet frontrunner Josh Stein, the state's attorney general, in the Democratic primary.
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper will appoint the justice replacing Morgan for the remainder of his term. Morgan's early retirement allows that replacement the possibility of running as an incumbent in 2024, a potential advantage.
