estimatedINDIEreaders and voters
Welcome to our first list of support for the 2021 local election cycle.
early voteas the Durham municipal primaries begin this week, and we want to give you the resources you need to go to the polls well-informed. To support these runs, we rely heavily on our own reports from last year. We also took into account messages from Durham residents and community members, endorsements from local leaders and PACs, read the candidate questionnaires sent to us and other media outlets and decided as employees who we truly believe would be the best representatives to lead Bull City. over the next two or four years.
First, disclosure: we do not support the Ward III race. One of the candidates, AJ Williams, is the son of our editor Thomas McDonald. (The District III race will also not appear on the primary ballots as there are only two candidates in the race.) But completed candidate questionnaires are available on our website for bothaj williamsand his opponent,Leonard Williams. We tried not to let the candidacy of AJ Williams affect our coverage of the other three main races.
Finally, this year's shortlist is of extremely high caliber. Deciding was a difficult process and we were very careful to choose what we thought were the best options.
All submitted candidate questionnaires are available on our website and we encourage you to read them in addition to these recommendations. We also have online information on early voting and voter registration. Primary election day in Durham is Tuesday, October 5. If you are a Durham resident (or one of the few in Wake or Orange counties to vote in the Durham local elections), do your civic duty and vote in the primary. , and then again in general on election day on Tuesday, November 2.
Your city needs your vote in elections!
Mayor of Durham
Elaine O'Neal
Other Candidates: Javiera Caballero, Rebecca Barnes, Charlitta Burruss, Sabrina „Bree” Davis, Jahnmaud Lane, Daryl Quick
The two favorites in the race for mayor of Durham: council memberJavier Caballeroand a retired judgeElaine O'Neal—are exceptionally skilled, experienced and pioneering civil servants.
Appointed to the council in 2018 and elected in 2019, Caballero is the first Hispanic woman to serve on Durham City Council and an advocate for the city's growing immigrant and refugee population.
Not only did Caballero advocate for inclusion in the city's governance processes, she got results: she helped create a language access program and lobbied for funding for an immigrant and refugee coordinator; helped set up an immigrant legal defense fund and organized community members and service providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Caballero is a strong supporter of the city's initiatives on affordable housing, sustainability, and community-focused policing. By all accounts, she is a dedicated, hardworking, friendly, and dedicated leader.
Elaine O'Neal spent 28 years in the judiciary, including being the first woman elected to the County Supreme Court. In addition to her work in the judiciary, the Durham native served as interim dean of North Carolina Central University's law school and chaired the 17-member Racial Equity Task Force that introducedfull reportlast summer.
As mayor, O'Neal will be well placed to implement the practical recommendations outlined in the Racial Equity Task Force report she led. You may have to puff your feathers to make measurable capital, but we think you'll be brave enough to do it.
This disruption will not be a disruption in itself, but in the service of the greater good, to O'Neal's stated goal of uniting Durham and its divided social and political factions so that Bull City can enjoy a future where all prosper. .
In our view, Durham needs both Caballero and O'Neal in leadership positions on the board. That scenario is within reach of Durham voters: With O'Neal elected as mayor, Caballero will keep his council seat until 2023. If Caballero is elected mayor, his place will most likely be filled by appointing a member. council in session.
O'Neal is the most qualified candidate in the mayoral race. We believe he will be a transformative force for Bull City.
Honorable mentions go to Charlitta Burruss,Sabriny „Bree” Davis, yRebecca Barnes. We hope to provide more information about these candidates in the coming weeks.
District I City Council
DeDreana Freeman(titular)
Other Candidates:Marion Johnson Waldo Fenner
marion johnsonshe worked on national LGBTQ+ health care policy and brought that advocacy to North Carolina in her work opposing the First Amendment. As a supporter of budget and fiscal policy at the North Carolina Justice Center, Johnson described her mission in this role as making sure North Carolina residents "feel involved and empowered in our state's budget process and recognize your authority as voters to hold elected officials accountable to your values."
It follows that as a District 1 candidate, Johnson has made an inclusive budget a central element of her campaign. The rest of his platform is detailed in due detail: Johnson proposes to elevate the city's $15-an-hour living wage policy to an "affluent" $25-an-hour wage policy for city workers and contractors; connect the city with sidewalks and bicycle paths and install bus shelters; advocate small area plans to give residents a say in development; and expand the city's resources for residents at risk of eviction.
As a progressive candidate through and through, we have no doubt that Johnson would be an excellent addition to Durham's leadership.
ButDeDreana Freemanshe was an excellent leader on the council and did nothing, including voting against the 2019 Affordable Housing Bond proposal and initially against the budget, which she felt did not focus adequately on capital initiatives to warrant removal. Freeman has always insisted on fairness as a core value, and working to achieve greater equality in Durham has guided his actions and voices.
Freeman is respected in the local community for her passion and dedication to duty. Freeman deserves recognition for her youth work efforts, including organizing summits on racism and child poverty; raise money for the Thriving Communities Fund to stabilize local businesses owned by women and people of color during the pandemic; implement environmental justice policies; working closely with the residents of McDougald Terrace; and the introduction of the CROWN Resolution to end haircut and texture discrimination.
We admire Freeman's commitment to creating a fairer Durham. The council should not be an echo room. We believe that dissent creates a balance when aligning overall goals.
That's why we're backing Freeman for another term.
City Council District II
When-Anthony'ego Middletona(titular)
Other Candidates:Sylvester Williams Robert Curtis
longtime candidateSylwester Williams(challenged Mayor Steve Schewel for the seat in 2019) has some interesting ideas, especially regarding economic development. The pastor and former financial analyst suggests encouraging corporations relocating to Durham to subsidize affordable housing, take advantage of the city's federal opportunity zones and use money from Durham's "failed light rail project" to fund transport and infrastructure improvements.
Williams also wants a lot more police.
While Durham is experiencing serious public safety issues and a surge in gun violence, it's unclear if adding more officers to the city's police force will really help improve the situation. It's also not clear what position Williams has in the city's newly formed Department of Social Security, which we think is a good idea.
The good news is the headlineWhen-Anthony'ego Middletonais one of the Department of Social Security's biggest proponents, one of the first council members to propose the employment, training and deployment of unarmed mental health workers to respond to emergencies in Durham.
Middleton has also advocated several other progressive ideas during her first term on the council, including a guaranteed basic income pilot program that will begin disbursing $500 to Durham's most needy residents next month. Equally exciting are his ideas for the future, including a proposal for "Marshall Plan-type municipal funds to flow into Durham's black neighborhoods to stabilize and preserve them."
Middleton is a visionary, committed and successful candidate. We are supporting him for another term representing District II.
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FAQs
What is the SCAD amendment in Durham? ›
The proposal, Simplifying Codes for more Affordable Development (SCAD), is the largest privately initiated text amendment the city has received in at least two decades, if not the largest of all time, according to eight people who have spent years tracking and advising on such proposals in Durham.
Who won Durham City Council? ›Elaine O'Neal was elected to serve as Mayor in 2021.
What is the scad college controversy? ›(CBS46) - The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is accused of racial discrimination and retaliation – not once, but three times – by Black former employees.
What is the 5th Amendment USC? ›No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be ...
Which party runs Durham? ›Following the elections held on 6 May 2021, subsequent by-elections and political changes, the current political make-up of the council is: 53 Labour councillors. 17 Liberal Democrat councillors. 22 Independent councillors.
Who is the new leader of Durham council? ›Lib Dem Amanda Hopgood enters third term as Durham council leader.
Who is the new MP for Durham City? ›City of Durham is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Mary Foy of the Labour Party.
Does SCAD have a bad reputation? ›The worse thing about SCAD is the crime-rate in Savannah. Students are often assaulted by disgruntled locals, and some cases have turned out to be extremely violent. Off-campus housing is often broken into, especially when students leave for the long winter break.
Does SCAD have a good reputation? ›Top ranked by The Hollywood Reporter, DesignIntelligence, The Business of Fashion, and more, SCAD offers more programs and specializations than any other art and design university in the U.S. With 100+ degree programs available across three distinctive locations and online, SCAD offers a seamless education. Why SCAD?
Did SCAD lose accreditation? ›SCAD is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's and master's degrees.
What is the 7th Amendment? ›
Amendment 7
In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
Amendment 9
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
The Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution states: “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” This amendment prohibits the federal government from imposing unduly harsh penalties on criminal defendants, either as the price for obtaining ...
What is the majority minority in Durham? ›Durham Demographics
White: 48.43% Black or African American: 37.48%
Durham was nicknamed the “Bull City” in the late 1800s when the Blackwell Tobacco Company named its product “Bull” Durham Tobacco. Durham was known as a banking and tobacco center and although both industries have continued to flourish, the City has also drawn many other industries to our area.
Why is Durham called County Durham? ›Its unusual naming (for an English shire) is explained to some extent by the relationship with the Bishops of Durham, who for centuries governed Durham as a county palatine (the County Palatine of Durham) outside the usual structure of county administration in England.
Who is the Mayor of Durham? ›| # | Name | Term in office |
|---|---|---|
| 37 | Nick Tennyson (born 1950; aged 71) | 1997 – 2001 |
| 38 | Bill Bell (born in 1941; aged 80) | 2001 – December 5, 2017 |
| 39 | Steve Schewel (born in 1951; aged 70) | December 5, 2017 – December 6, 2021 |
| 40 | Elaine O'Neal | December 6, 2021 – |
Current Member of Parliament
This seat is currently held by Erin O'Toole of the Conservative Party of Canada, who also served as Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada from 2020 to early 2022. O'Toole, a former captain in the Royal Canadian Air Force, was first elected in the 2012 by-election.
Mayor Elaine O'Neal, 61, is Durham born and raised. She is in her first term, becoming the city's first Black female mayor in 2021 after being pushed to run. City Manager Wanda Page rose through the ranks of city government over 30 years before being picked for the top spot in 2021.
Who is the conservative MP in Durham? ›
He is the first Conservative MP in the constituency's history. Holden has served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Roads and Local Transport since October 2022.
How many MPs are in Durham? ›There are six parliamentary constituencies in this area. Each constituency has one Member of Parliament.
What is the ACT requirement for SCAD? ›Savannah College of Art and Design is not selective with an acceptance rate of 96%. Students that get into Savannah College of Art and Design have an SAT score between 1130–1370 or an ACT score of 20–28.
Do you need to take the ACT for SCAD? ›What are the SAT/ACT/AP codes for SCAD? SCAD is a test-optional university, meaning students may choose to submit test scores for the SAT/ACT if available, but applications from students without test scores will also be considered.
What is the ACT code for scad? ›The SCAD school code is 015022. All required admission materials and financial aid information should be submitted at least 60 days prior to the start of your intended term of entry.
Is SCAD hard to get in? ›SCAD admissions is somewhat selective with an acceptance rate of 81%. Students that get into SCAD have an average SAT score between 1050-1240 or an average ACT score of 21-27.
Is SCAD prestigious? ›SCAD is continually recognized for educational and professional excellence, affirming our commitment to the highest standards of achievement in art and design.
Where does SCAD rank? ›It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar. Savannah College of Art and Design's ranking in the 2022-2023 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Universities South, #9.
What is the middle 50 for SCAD? ›ACT Scores and Requirements
The middle 50% of students admitted to SCAD received a composite ACT score between 21 and 27, while 25% scored above 27 and 25% scored below 21.
A student will be unofficially withdrawn from a course after incurring absences for 20% of the term (usually five absences) in a class when the student does not provide an official notification of withdrawal, as described above.
Does SCAD require a high school diploma? ›
Applicants are encouraged to complete high school or earn a GED certificate before attending SCAD. However, students with exceptional motivation and ability may be admitted early if they meet certain requirements.