As Durham inches closer to the municipal primary on Oct. 7, it’s unclear if City Council Ward 2 will experience a turnover in leadership. Eyes are on the incumbent, Mark-Anthony Middleton. 

23-year-old Elijah King is running for the Ward 1 City Council position on the platforms of small business support and his lived experience of the issues defining the election.

After years of watching Durham’s rapid growth, marketing director and community advocate Samaria McKenzie is running for the Ward 1 City Council seat, to prioritize neighborhoods over developers.

Coming from a background of arts education, attending Durham public schools, and volunteering as an English and Spanish teacher, Ward 3 Candidate Durant Long tackles questions of development and affordable housing in Durham, and expanding the City Council.

Pablo Friedmann looks to be Durham's first Latino mayor as he runs against four other candidates in a campaign that highlights responsible development and affordable living.

From his professional background in sustainability advising to his environmentally-focused policy proposals and his volunteer experience on the Durham Environmental Affairs Board, sustainability is at the center of Kopac’s campaign.

From watching her father, Bill Bell, serve as mayor, to working in arts education, Anjanée Bell's experiences uniquely prepared her for the Durham Municipal Election.

In preparation for the Oct. 7 primary election, Durham City Council Ward 3 candidate Chelsea Cook discusses development, community safety and the Durham political scene.

"We're seeing the most corrupt administration in this country," said Jonathan Riley, Organizing Director for Durham Progressive Democrats. "They are robbing the treasury. Their plan is to pass 5 or 6 trillion dollar tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires. They'll pay for that with cuts to programs that people depend on."