O’Neal, ward incumbents top Durham primary fields for mayor, council. On to November.

Mayoral candidate Elaine O’Neal and two City Council incumbents topped their fields in Durham’s municipal primary Tuesday night, which will send the top two finishers in each race on to November’s election.

Some 20,033 out of 199,995 of registered voters, or about 10%, cast their ballots, according to the state Board of Elections website.

Here’s a look at the final but unofficial results with all 56 precincts reporting.

Durham mayoral race

O’Neal, a former judge and interim dean of the N.C. Central Law School, received 13,586 votes, followed by City Council member Javiera Caballero, with 4,925 votes.

“I am humbled by the support of my community, and once again, they show me that I am a daughter of Durham,” O’Neal said Tuesday night.

O’Neal never doubted she would finish in the top two, she said, because she has been connecting with her community on another level since running for office.

“I have been giving this [campaign] my all, and tonight gave a nod that said, ‘ya did good, girl,” O’Neal added.

This race featured five more candidates also trying to succeed Mayor Steve Schewel, who is not seeking a third term.

Caballero’s term on the council runs until 2023. If she does not win the November election, she would remain on the council.

▪ Elaine O’Neal, 67.96%

▪ Javiera Caballero, 24.63%

▪ Jahnmaud Lane, 2.95%

▪ Rebecca Harvard Barnes, 1.73%

▪ Sabrina “Bree” Davis, 1.13%

▪ Daryl Quick, 1.06%

▪ Charlitta Burruss, 0.55%

Durham Council Ward 1

Incumbent DeDreana Freeman finished first with 13,468 votes, followed by challenger Marion T. Johnson with 5,189 votes.

▪ DeDreana Freeman, 69.61%

▪ Marion T. Johnson, 26.82%

▪ Elizabeth Takla, 2.07%

▪ Waldo Fenner, 1.49%

Durham Council Ward 2 Results

Incumbent Mark-Anthony Middleton had 16,255 votes, far ahead of Sylvester Williams with 1,718 votes.

Middleton was confident going into Tuesday’s primary and said he feels he has more to offer Durham residents.

“Durham remains a highly desirable city, and I think I have a pretty compelling case to make to the people for four more years,” he said.

Middleton also said he believes Durham will achieve a first with the election, regardless of who is elected mayor.

“This is an absolutely pivotal and critical election as we make history with our first Black woman mayor or our first Latina mayor,” he said.

▪ Mark-Anthony Middleton, 85.91%

▪ Sylvester Williams, 9.08%

▪ Robert Curtis Jr, 5.01%

Durham Council Ward 3

There was no primary in Ward 3, where the only two candidates running, Leonardo Williams and AJ Williams, will automatically proceed to election day in November. They are seeking the seat currently held by Pierce Freelon, who is not running for election.

The voter registration deadline for the Nov. 2 election is 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8. Requests to vote by mail must be received by 5 p.m. Oct. 26.

One-stop early voting in the general election will run from Thursday, Oct. 14, to Saturday, Oct. 30.

This story was originally published October 5, 2021 at 9:30 PM.