The Durham municipal general elections are rapidly approaching. On Nov. 4, there are two candidates up for each of four open positions. Here is a comparison of the candidates for mayor and three city city council seats: 

Mayor

 

Leonardo Williams

Leonardo Williams is the incumbent mayor of Durham. He was elected in 2023 and is seeking his second term in office. 

Experience

Williams’ background is in education. He was a teacher in the Durham public school system and was teacher of the year twice. He also served on the Durham City Council for two years before being elected as mayor. 

Endorsements

Williams has received many of the most important endorsements in Durham, including those from the People’s Alliance, the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, Indy Week and former mayors Steve Schewel and Wib Gulley, 

Policy Highlights

As mayor, Williams helped establish the Bull City Future Fund with the United Way of the Greater Triangle, a mutual fund that supports housing, healthcare, food, and education, among other social causes. 

His campaign page highlights five policy areas: affordable living, building a “dynamic city”, opportunity and innovation, culture and creativity and public safety. 

 

Anjanée Bell 

Voters may recognize the name Bell. Anjanée Bell’s father, William V. “Bill” Bell, served as  Durham mayor from 2001 until 2017. Much of the junior Bell’s campaign centers around her experience being the daughter of the longtime Durham politician. 

Experience

Though Bell has no prior political experience, she worked for Durham Public Schools as a dance educator for 15 years. Bell has also served as the Director of Dance and outreach for the North Carolina Arts Council.

Endorsements

Bell received an endorsement from her father, which she said she earned. 

Policy Highlights

Bell’s campaign website lays out the “H.O.P.E.” plan: housing and healing; opportunity and ownership; people’s safety and people’s trust; and environments and educations. 

Bell would prioritize anti-eviction measures and building affordable mixed-income housing on public land. She wrote in a Vote 411 questionnaire that she believes in “development without displacement.” 

She’s in favor of strengthening non-police first response programs like the Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Teams (HEART), but also bettering recruitment for law enforcements, emergency medical services and fire fighters. 

 

City Council Ward I 

 

Matt Kopac

Matt Kopac’s campaign for city council has centered around sustainability, especially as it relates to development and transportation. 

Experience

Kopac currently works as a senior sustainability advisor for Pure Strategies in Durham and volunteers asa Durham planning commissioner. Previously, he served on the Durham Environmental Affairs Board. He previously ran for the Durham County Board of Commissioners in 2020 but finished sixth in voting. 

Endorsements

Kopac received  an endorsement from Indy Week and from the People’s Alliance. The Triangle Central Labor Council endorsed Kopac in August, and he has garnered support from several current and former Durham politicians, including former mayor Wib Gulley and the Durham County commission chair, Nida Allam. 

Policy Highlights

Some of Kopac’s proposed development policies include a construction loan program, developing public land and support for current homeowners. 

He writes on his campaign website that he is committed to maintaining free bus services and increasing access to local transit. He also supports policies that prioritize people over cars, like traffic calming efforts and limiting car-oriented growth. 

Kopac’s website says he would like to expand the HEART program and “address root causes of violence, like economic and housing insecurity and racial justice.” 

 

DeDreana Freeman

DeDreana Freeman has served on the city council for eight years. 

Experience

In addition to her role on the council, Freeman is a business consultant and worked for many years at the East Durham Children’s Initiative. 

She has served on a variety of committees while on the city council, including The Racial Equity Commission, the council subcommittee on housing, the Environmental Affairs Board and the Durham Workplace Development Board. 

Endorsements 

Freeman received the endorsement of the Durham Committee on the Affairs on Black People and the Professional Fire Fighters of Durham (Local 668). 

Indy Week wrote that they had concerns about the tensions that Freeman has created on the council — In March, the publication reported that Freeman got into a shouting argument with fellow council member Mark-Anthony Middleton. 

Policy Highlights

On her campaign website, Freeman writes that she would be committed to preventing displacements, prioritizing longtime residents in any development and promoting sustainable land use. 

In addition, she says she would provide a host of support to small business owners and invest in affordable housing and childcare to support working families. 

Freeman also writes that she would like to bring the public closer to the bureaucratic process by improving accessibility and participation in council decisionmaking. 

 

City Council Ward II

 

Shanetta Burris 

This is Burris’ second campaign for city council. She ran in 2023 but lost in the primary. 

Experience

Burris has held several elected positions, including the first vice chair and the recording secretary of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People and the first vice president of the Durham African American Caucus. 

She has also served a variety of roles at her alma mater, North Carolina Central University, where she studied public administration. 

Endorsements

Burris has been endorsed by People’s Alliance, the Durham Workers Union and Elaine O’Neal, the former mayor of Durham. 

She also received the support of the Durham Sunrise Movement and the Durham City Workers Union. 

Indy Week declined to endorse a candidate in Ward II. 

Policy Highlights

Burris highlights four main policy areas: housing affordability, environment, city infrastructure and safety. 

She specifically mentions creating housing for first generation college students and developing with the environment in mind. Burris also suggests addressing the “root causes of crime.”

 

Mark-Anthony Middleton

Incumbent Mark-Anthony Middleton has served on the city council since 2017. He was appointed as mayor pro tempore in 2021. 

Experience

Outside of his political work, Middleton is a pastor. In a previous term, he helped implement a guaranteed income program, which provides unconditional supplementary income to Durham citizens. He also secured money to invest in the historic Hayti and Fayetteville Street Corridor communities. 

Endorsements

Middleton received the endorsements from the Durham Committee for the Affairs of Black People. 

Indy Week declined to make an endorsement in the Ward II election, citing Middleton’s voting history that is often at odds with the public’s wishes and his hostility in meetings. 

Policy Highlights

Middleton has historically voted in favor of development, including rezoning requests. 

He helped establish a guaranteed income program and invested $10 million in the historic Hayti community. 

In addition to the programs mentioned above, he has emphasized the need for policy to reduce gun violence. On a broader level, Middleton’s website says he is committed to protecting Durham from threats, uplifting the new generation of leaders and holding himself and other municipal leaders accountable. 

 

City Council Ward III

 

Chelsea Cook 

Chelsea Cook is running for reelection for the first time. 

Experience 

Cook has served on the city council for two years while also working as an eviction defense lawyer. They are also a professor at the Duke University School of Law, working with the Civil Justice Clinic. 

Endorsements 

Cook  received support from the Durham Progressive Democrats, UE Local 150 N.C. Public Service Workers Union, the LGBTQ Victory Fund, the N.C. State AFL-CIO, People’s Alliance and Indy Week. 

Policy Highlights 

During their time on the city council, Cook advocated a resolution urging the Biden administration to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, which was passed. They have also supported the expansion of the HEART program and access to public transportation. 

Cook has also been a driver of the conversation to raise the minimum wage. In regard to  development, they have urged developers to contribute to local infrastructure. 

Their campaign website highlights housing, community safety, environment,  public space and “smart growth.” Specifically, Cook outlines policies to better public transit, increase requirements in the development code for environmental preservation, increase funding for youth programming and help people become homeowners or stay in their homes. 

 

Diana Medoff 

Diana Medoff is a political newcomer running on the idea of “more” for Durham. 

Experience 

Medoff has a background in education. She worked as a public school teacher in New York City before moving to Durham 15 years ago. From 2021 to 2025, she was a third grade teacher at the Duke School. 

Endorsements 

Medoff received an endorsement from the Committee on the Affairs of Black People. She was also endorsed by Yes for Durham, but it later came out that Medoff’s husband, Ari, was at one point involved in the organization. 

Policy Highlights 

The tagline of Medoff’s campaign is “what if we could have more?” She wants to make Durham an enticing place for job-creating businesses, invest in development “across the affordability spectrum,” increase availability of third spaces and increase training for first responders.