Durham Mayor Leo Williams and incumbent city council members DeDreana Freeman, Mark-Anthony Middleton, and Chelsea Cook all advanced out of the city's primary election.
They will now advance to the general election next month. Durham holds non-partisan elections, with the primary held directly before the general. Candidates for mayor and three city wards run against each other in the primary, with the top two vote getters in each race advancing to the general election.
In that general election, Williams will face Anjanee Bell, daughter of long-time Durham Mayor Bill Bell. Unofficial results posted by the N.C. Board of Elections Tuesday night showed Williams won 55% of the vote. Bell won 30% of the vote in the five-candidate race.
Read about each of the candidates in the primary election in the drop down boxes below:
Leonardo (Leo) Williams, incumbent
(Advanced with 13,761 votes, or 55% of the vote for mayor in the primary election)Williams is the incumbent and was first elected in 2023. He previously served as a member of the Durham City Council from 2021-23. He's a former Durham Public Schools teacher and now co-owns and manages restaurants with his wife.
What he cares about: Williams's campaign slogan is "Durham is Dope." Many of his efforts have focused on affordability and spreading opportunity. He's an unabashed cheerleader for the city and a frequent sight in and around downtown. He launched the "Bull City Future Fund" during his first term, which awards grants to groups ranging from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Durham and Orange Counties to El Futuro.
Experience/endorsements: Williams was endorsed by both of the city’s two most influential political actions committees: the People’s Alliance PAC and the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People PAC.
Anjanée Bell
(Advanced with 7,357 votes, or 30% of the vote for mayor in the primary election)Bell has held a variety of positions and roles in arts and dance education and administration, including as the arts coordinator for North Carolina State Parks. She is the daughter of long-time Durham Mayor Bill Bell.
What she cares about: She lists housing, local ownership of businesses, crisis care teams, expanding parks and improving sidewalks as some of her priorities.
Experience/endorsements: Bell has never held elective office. She touts her upbringing in Durham and her connection to her father. She says she prepared to run for mayor by driving Uber and Lyft to "see the city through the eyes of its people." She says this helped her see "the struggle, the resilience, the hope, and the undeniable hunger for something greater."
Pablo Friedmann
(Eliminated in primary election)Pablo Friedmann has never run for political office. He's Director of Durham Public School's Multilingual Resource Center and serves on the board of Student U, a nonprofit dedicated to creating a more equitable education system.
What he cares about: Friedmann says he is "running because the City of Durham should work for you and everyone else."
Experience/Endorsements: Governor Roy Cooper appointed him to the Governor's Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs. On his website, he touts his "experience arriving at decisions in consensus."
Lloyd Phillips
(Eliminated in primary election)Phillips has posted no information on his background, positions or campaign.
Rafiq Zaidi
(Eliminated in primary election)Zaidi is an imam does not have a campaign website. IndyWeek calls him "a persistent speaker at city and county meetings."
What he cares about: Zaidi priorities community input over developers and "outsiders" in decision-making.
Experience/Endorsements: None
DeDreana Freeman, incumbent
(Advanced with 9,620 votes, or 39% of the vote for Ward I in the primary election)
Consultant. Elected to the Durham City Council in 2017. Endorsed by the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People for her advocacy for "an Equitable Durham, Public Safety, and Economic Justice and Racial Justice."
Matt Kopac
(Advanced with 10,071 votes, or 41% of the vote for Ward I in the primary election)
Sustainability professional. Serves on the Durham Planning Commission. Endorsed by the People's Alliance PAC for "his strengths as an active listener and cited his experience in environmental advocacy and local governance."
Andrea Cazales
(Eliminated in primary election)
Nurse and community advocate. She says that "every zoning vote, transit plan, and budget decision is a health decision. Durham calls itself the City of Medicine. It's time for leadership that reflects it, understands it, and acts like it."
Elijah King
(Eliminated in primary election)
Third vice chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party and community organizer. Graduated in May from UNC-Greensboro. Major issues are housing equality, community-driven public safety, public transportation, and small business support.
Samaria McKenzie
(Eliminated in primary election)
Marketing specialist. No campaign website.
Sheryl Smith
(Eliminated in primary election)
Activist against gun violence. No campaign website.
Mark-Anthony Middleton, incumbent
(Advanced with 9,411 votes, or 40% of the vote for Ward II in the primary election)
Pastor, former leader of the N.C. League of Municipalities. Endorsed by the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People PAC for being a "relentless advocate in advancing gun violence, economic stability, and an adequate and affordable housing stock."
Shanetta Burris
(Advanced with 11,737 votes, or 49% of the vote for Ward II in the primary election)
Training manager, organizer. Burris says she is running to "center the needs of people over personal gain and bring a responsive voice to city leadership." Endorsed by the People's Alliance PAC for a "strong track record in grassroots advocacy and racial justice work."
Ashley Robbins
(Eliminated in primary election)
Assistant technology manager at Wake Technical Community College; advocates for disability rights.
Chelsea Cook, incumbent
(Advanced with 14,707 votes, or 60% of the vote for Ward II in the primary election)
Clinical law professor at Duke University School of Law. Proponent of affordable housing and environmental protections. Appointed to the City Council in 2024. Endorsed by the People's Alliance PAC for "fighting Durham's housing crisis in their work on council as well as their ability to work together and reach consensus with other council members and community stakeholders."
Diana Medoff
(Advanced with 6,237 votes, or 25% of the vote for Ward II in the primary election)
Community liaison at Triangle Neuropsychology Services. Endorsed by the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People PAC for being a "responsive and informed newcomer." She cites her top three priorities as more housing, more jobs, and more safety.
Terry McCann
(Eliminated in primary election)
Math teacher at J.D. Clements Early High School. Only registered Republican running for the City Council. Wants to grow the Durham Police Department through "meritocracy" in hiring. Cites his common-sense approach to governing.
Durant Long
(Eliminated in primary election)
Student at NCCU. Supports affordable housing. "We have no choice but to implement radical ideas that will provide more substantial, permanent change, and shift the field in favor of the many."
About 25,000 voters cast a ballot in this primary, good for a 12% voter turnout.
For the council races, Chelsea Cook received the most votes of any candidate on the night. Cook received more than 14,500 votes, or nearly 60% of the votes in the race for Ward III. Cook will face Diana Medoff in the general.
In the races for Wards I and II, the incumbent was the second-highest vote getter in both instances. In Ward I, Matt Kopec won 41% of the vote while DeDreana Freeman won 39%. In Ward II, Shanetta Burris won nearly 50% of the vote while Mark-Anthony Middleton won 40%.
Triangle Elections 2025
- September 18 - October 4: Durham Mayor and City Council primary early voting begins
- October 7: Durham Mayor and City Council primary Election Day
- October 16 - November 1: Early voting for general election in 500 North Carolina municipalities
- November 4: Election Day
Voters across the Triangle will go to the polls this fall to vote for local leaders. City of Durham is the only Triangle-area municipality that holds a primary in October. Here are some important dates:
Municipalities holding elections include
- Wake County: Angier, Apex, Cary, Durham, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell, and Zebulon. Precinct and early voting location information here
- Durham County: Durham city and Morrisville. Precinct and early voting location information here
- Orange County: Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, and Mebane; and Carrboro City Schools Board of Education. Precinct and early voting location information here
- Johnston County: Archer Lodge, Benson, Clayton, Four Oaks, Kenly, Micro, Pine Level, Princeton, Selma, Smithfield, and Wilsons Mills; Johnston-Whitley Heights Sanitary District. Precinct and early voting location information here
- Durham race for Mayor and City Council
- American Aquarium's BJ Barham is running for office in Wendell
- Chapel Hill race for Mayor and City Council (publishing October 12)
- Cary race for Mayor and City Council (publishing October 13)
- What is the Whitley Heights Sanitary District, and what does the commissioner do? (publishing October 14)
Knowing who is on your ballot is hard. Find a "How To" guide to locate your sample ballot here
