Inside the Durham mayor’s race: When the most experienced candidate is the underdog
The local election in Durham is nearing its end, with voters set to decide Tuesday who will be the Bull City’s next mayor.
The front-runner is Leonardo Williams, 42, teacher turned small business owner who won his first City Council seat just two years ago.
His candidacy made an unlikely underdog out of Mike Woodard, 64, a state senator for over a decade and City Council member for seven years before that.
“Mike does have a lot more political experience than I do; that’s fine,” Williams said. “I don’t think people are looking for longevity of experience, I think they’re looking for vision. I think they’re looking for innovation. I think they’re looking for fresh legs.”
Williams finished first in the city’s non-partisan primary last month with 51% of the vote. Woodard finished second, with 29% of the vote. The top two finishers in the primary advance to the general election.
But with the eliminated candidates accounting for the remaining 20%, results on election night could still be close.
“I knew that it was going to be a bit of an uphill climb,” Woodard said. “But I think it was worth it.”
Durham council endorsements
After weeks of speculation this summer, Williams locked in the support of former Mayor Steve Schewel and filed to run for mayor 10 days after Woodard, on the next-to-last day possible.
Since then, Williams has won the lion’s share of endorsements, including from INDY Week and Durham’s two most powerful political action committees, the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People and the People’s Alliance.
Woodard has long enjoyed those endorsements in his other runs and says he still has significant support within their ranks.
“There are a whole lot of PA members who are supportive of me, a whole lot of members of the Durham Committee,” Woodard said. “I’ve built up good relationships with these people over 18 years of elected service.”
Last week, Woodard secured the support of current Mayor Elaine O’Neal, after she had supported Council member DeDreana Freeman, who lost in the mayoral primary).
“His experience, vision, and passion for our community make him the ideal candidate for Mayor,” O’Neal said in a statement.
Mayor Pro Tem Mark-Anthony Middleton, meanwhile, threw his support behind Williams, calling him a “generational leader.”
“Leo is a young, principled, transformative leader and is allergic to pettiness,” Middleton wrote on Facebook Monday. “The position is far more one of influence rather than raw power. Familiarity with the minutiae of parliamentary procedure, and possessing strong policy chops is just the beginning.”
How much money was raised in Durham election?
The mayoral candidates had similar fundraising totals, according to their most recent campaign filings, dated Oct. 23.
Woodard’s candidate committee reported raising $55,861 and spending nearly all of it.
Williams raised $54,753 and had about a third of it on hand two weeks before the election.
Williams said he’s been harassed by opponents since he launched his campaign, though he said he’s certain Woodard had nothing to do with it.
“I’ve been followed around. I’ve been stalked. My truck has been vandalized, windows busted out three times. My wife’s car, keyed up. Leaving notes on my car: ‘You’ll never be mayor,’” Williams said. “We spent $4,000 on signs and they’re gone.”
The campaign consisted of seemingly endless forums and questionnaires, candidates said, plus phone banking, working polls, sending out mailers and canvassing door-to-door.
“Durham is a little bit unique from some of the other municipal elections going on in that there’s really only Democrats on the ballot,” said local Democratic Party Chair Steve Rawson.
They’re one of the organizations trying to drive up what has so far been low turnout. Only about 4% of eligible voters had cast ballots in the general election as of Tuesday. In the primary, less than 12% of voters turned out.
“Whoever wins, Durham is going to be led by good strong Democrats,” Rawson continued. “So our focus can be on persuading people to vote rather than persuading people to vote Democrat.”
Woodard and Williams both have time left on their current terms in office, so whoever loses Tuesday will hold onto his current seat. .
Neither candidate is a Durham native. Woodard moved from Wilson to attend Duke University. Williams moved from Halifax County to attend N.C. Central University.
Durham mayor candidates on the issues
Both candidate said they can address dysfunction on the City Council, touting reputations as deal-brokers.
Woodard: “Remember that in my 11 years, we have always been either in a minority or superminority in the General Assembly. ... I’m always going to be there trying to negotiate to make things better,” he said, dismissing criticism some have leveled at him for working with Republicans. “You can be the naysayer, but you will not be very effective.”
Williams: “You have to work with people. You can’t be so caught up in your own views or your own way of thinking that you’re immovable,” he said. “That’s not how politics work. Politics is people work.”
On development, Williams typically votes in favor of projects, especially when the council can get affordable housing commitments. Woodard said he would take a similar approach, with perhaps more caution given to infrastructure and environmental concerns.
Woodard: “Is it a quality project? I think that’s one of the first questions for me. Durham is a desirable enough community now that I just don’t want us to build a lot of junk.”
Williams: “The reality is, cities grow. ... We can leverage and be a part of this growth and lead it, or we can be victims of it.”
Both said they’d like to pass some of the less controversial provisions in the bundle of proposed development code amendments known as SCAD.
Woodard: Some things will need further conversation, he said, but eliminating parking minimums “shouldn’t be controversial and has good payoff.”
Williams: He would like to pass parts of it, but said he wants more debate before eliminating parking minimums or shrinking the number of years some incentivized affordable housing must be preserved.
Durham 2023 election
Three at-large seats on the City Council also are on the ballot. Their terms last four years, compared to the mayor’s two.
Five candidates remain in the race.
Nate Baker, a planning commissioner who has raised concerns about development around Durham, especially the lack of walkability and affordability. He got the most votes in the primary.
Incumbent Javiera Caballero, a progressive former educator who has pressed for denser development in the city. She became the first Latina on the council in 2018.
Carl Rist, a progressive with a longtime career at a Washington, D.C.-based think tank and deep connections around Durham. His campaign is centered on affordable housing and living-wage jobs.
Khalilah Karim, a progressive who is a relative newcomer to the local political scene. She works for the NC League of Conservation Voters and staked her campaign on the environment and economy.
Incumbent Monique Holsey-Hyman, a social work professor who has championed the HEART program and challenged development in southeast Durham. The 2022 appointee placed sixth in the primary after spending six months under investigation following accusations of extortion and campaign finance violations. The district attorney cleared her in September.
Early voting continues Friday and Saturday at five locations around the city.
Election Day is Tuesday, with polls open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
To find polling places and full details on voting, visit dcovotes.com or call the Board of Elections at 919-560-0700.
