Durham City Council candidate withdraws from municipal election
.jpg "The top two finishers in each race in Durham’s Oct. 5 municipal primary will face each other in the Nov. 2 general election.")
This story was updated Sept. 2, 2021, to correct the date the candidate needed to withdraw.
Elizabeth Takla has withdrawn from the Durham City Council election, confirming Wednesday she is no longer seeking the Ward 1 council seat.
Takla, whose platform emphasized pushing Durham in a “progressive direction,” declined to say why she suspended her campaign.
According to the Durham County Board of Elections, her name will still appear on the October primary ballot.
“I am not aware of any candidate formally withdrawing with the Board of Elections. But a candidate would have to withdraw no later than the third business day prior to the close of filing, which would’ve been Aug. 10,” said BOE director Derek Bowens.
The top two finishers in the Oct. 5 primary will go on to the general election Nov. 2. In addition to Takla, incumbent DeDreana Freeman, Marion Johnson and Waldo Fenner filed to run for the Ward 1 seat.
Bowens added that neither of the Ward 3 candidates, A.J. Williams and Leonardo Williams, will appear on ballots in October because there are only two candidates in the race. Both candidates, who are seeking the seat currently held by Pierce Feelon, will automatically proceed to the November election. Freelon, who was appointed to fill a council vacancy, is not running.
Every city voter may cast ballots in the mayoral and ward races. Voters must be registered by 5 p.m. Sept. 10 to vote in the primary and by 5 p.m. Oct. 8 to vote in the general election.
This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 4:55 PM.