Guide to Durham’s 2023 elections: A wide-open race for mayor and 3 City Council seats.
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Durham Mayor and City Council Election 2023
Residents in Durham will choose a new mayor and fill three City Council seats this fall. There are eight people competing for mayor. (Jontae Dunston did not respond to our questionnaire.) Early voting in the primary runs through Oct. 7 with the Primary Election on Oct. 10. The top two mayoral candidates and top six council candidates will proceed to the general election in November. Learn more about the candidates.
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The hotly contested races for Durham mayor and City Council will narrow with the primary Tuesday, Oct. 10.
Turnout was low during the early voting period, with only 11,251 ballots cast. That’s roughly 5.5% of eligible voters.
- Most voters were Democrats (73%), followed by unaffiliated (23%)
- As of last week, Precinct 32, which typically votes at Neal Middle School in southeast Durham, had seen the highest turnout.
- As of last week a majority of voters — 54% — had been 65 and older. Only 2% had been younger than 26.
The last day of early voting was Saturday.
Polls will reopen Tuesday for the primary.
There are four extremely competitive seats up for grabs. Here’s what we know about the candidates.
City Council race
It’s a crowded City Council race, with 12 candidates competing for three at-large seats.
The top six vote-getters Tuesday will advance to the general election in November.
Terms last four years.
Here’s who is running:
- Incumbent Javiera Caballero, a former teacher who has been in office since 2018. She is the first Latina elected to the Durham City Council. Caballero is progressive and typically votes in favor of housing developments, especially when they include affordable units. (Questionnaire)
- Incumbent Monique Holsey-Hyman, a social work professor appointed in 2022. She has supporter the HEART program and opposed development in southeast Durham. She was recently cleared by the district attorney after an SBI investigation into accusations of extortion and campaign finance violations. (Questionnaire)
- Nate Baker, a planning commissioner who wants to make cities more walkable, inclusive and transit-oriented. (Questionnaire)
- Shanetta Burris, a double graduate of N.C. Central University and program manager with Lillian’s List, which recruits progressive women to run for office in NC. (Questionnaire)
- J.J. Campbell, a retired geophysicist and former dolphin trainer with nonprofit experience. (Questionnaire)
- Waldo Fenner, a Walltown resident with experience in counseling, education, community health and substance abuse. (Fenner did not complete a questionnaire.)
- Bonita Green, who leads the Inter-Neighborhood Council and is president of the Merrick-Moore Community Development Corp. (Questionnaire)
- Shelia Ann Huggins, an attorney who previously worked for the city and ran for the council in 2017. (Questionnaire)
- Khalilah Karim, a regional field director for the NC League of Conservation Voters. (Questionnaire)
- Carl Rist, a progressive with a longtime career at a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. (Questionnaire)
- Sherri Zann Rosenthal, a former deputy city attorney with extensive housing experience. (Questionnaire)
- Renee J. Vaughn, a Duke University research administrator and clergy member who serves on the Homeless Services Advisory Committee. (Vaughn did not complete a questionnaire.)
Who will be Durham’s next mayor?
The current mayor, Elaine O’Neal, announced at the end of June that she will not be running.
Several other candidates are, including two sitting City Council members and Durham’s longtime state senator.
The term lasts two years.
Here’s who filed with the Board of Elections:
- State Sen. Mike Woodard, who served on the City Council from 2005 to 2012 and has been representing Durham in the legislature since then. (Questionnaire)
- City Council member DeDreana Freeman, who has been in office since 2017. She works for the nonprofit CornerSquare Community Capital. (Questionnaire)
- City Council member Leonardo (Leo) Williams, who is in his first term. He is a restaurant owner and former teacher. (Questionnaire)
- Charlitta Burruss, a minister who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2021 and City Council in 2019. (Questionnaire)
- Jontae Dunston, a Durham native who frequently speaks at City Council meetings.
- Nick Pettiford, who works in marketing. (Questionnaire)
- Marshall Williams Jr., who is on the city’s Workforce Development Board. (Questionnaire)
- Sylvester Williams, a pastor and perennial candidate for local office. (Questionnaire)
The top two vote-getters in the primary will face off in November.
None of the elected officials have to resign from their current seats to run. Both City Council members have terms that expire in 2025. Woodard’s term lasts until 2024.
An appointment would be made to the seat of an elected official who became mayor.
Endorsements
Leonardo Williams locked up the majority of endorsements for mayor from local political action committees. He also has the support of former Mayor Steve Schewel.
O’Neal, the outgoing mayor, supports DeDreana Freeman.
Find our running list of endorsements here.
A bit of trivia
It’s the second time in two years that the mayor’s race has been wide open.
Schewel spent four years in the job before O’Neal, while his predecessor Bill Bell lasted 16 years before retiring.
In fact, O’Neal is the first mayor in over 30 years to serve only one term.
Chester Jenkins, the first African American man elected mayor, served one term in 1989. O’Neal is the first African American woman elected mayor.
Who’s not running?
Mayor Pro Tem Mark-Anthony Middleton considered a run for mayor, but decided against it as filing neared an end.
“When Her Honor announced that she would be serving one term this naturally raised questions about the future of Durham’s political leadership and what my role would be. I was at peace two years ago (when reelected), and after a time of prayerful consideration and conversations with family, friends, and trusted advisors I am still at peace with my prior resolve. Therefore, I will not be seeking the mayoralty of Durham at this time,” Middleton said on social media.
City Council member Jillian Johnson announced in June that she will not run for re-election after serving for eight years.
Johnson said she is supporting Caballero and Rist. Like Johnson, both are active in the progressive People’s Alliance PAC.
Kenneth Spaulding, a former state legislator and attorney who practiced in Durham for 40 years, weighed a run for mayor. He decided against it before filing opened.
“After thoughtful consideration, I have decided to continue to remain retired and continue to serve our community in other ways,” Spaulding told The N&O in an email. “Mayor Elaine O’Neal has served our city with great dedication, hard work and compassion. I’m hopeful that any future Mayor of Durham will share her same attributes.”
How to vote in Durham’s municipal elections
Dates to know in 2023:
- Oct. 10: Primary Day
- Nov. 7: Election Day
Heads up, NC residents must now show a photo ID to vote, the state Supreme Court ruled. The name and photo must match your voter registration, but the address is only required to match for new, not yet registered voters.
Learn more by visiting dcovotes.com.
This story was originally published July 11, 2023 at 8:59 AM.
