The People’s Alliance PAC offers congratulations to the successful candidates elected and re-elected in the November 2 Municipal Election. We are happy and proud that Durham will have its first Black woman Mayor! This is a remarkable milestone for our city. 

We look forward to working with Mayor-elect Elaine O’Neal, City Council members DeDreana Freeman and Mark-Anthony Middleton, and Councilmember-elect Leonardo Williams. Under Mayor O’Neal’s leadership, we are certain that Durham can and will unite to expand and institute progressive policies for the Bull City. Community safety, police reform, fighting racial injustice, environmental stewardship, sustainable housing and transportation, and equitable economic growth are central issues facing Durham, and we know and trust that our new and continuing leadership will fight for each and every one of these issues.

We want to thank all of our pollworkers and volunteers who worked hard on behalf of our endorsed candidates Marion Johnson and AJ Williams. We also want to thank Javiera Caballero for her efforts during the primary campaign, and to Marion and AJ for their efforts in advancing a progressive agenda. We are very excited to have seen them step up to run for public office and look forward to seeing their continued leadership in Durham.

Not one step back – on to 2022!

From Kelsey Dawson, she/her. Queer Activist and Durham Service Industry Laborer. 

I #chooseDurham because the changes I’ve watched happen in Durham over the last decade plus have increasingly made me worried for Durham's future as a diverse and affordable city. Durham needs smart and creative problem solving within our leadership structures to create change that leads us away from gentrification, housing inequality, and police brutality. I believe Marion is dedicated to growing and supporting all citizens of Durham’s needs, not just the super wealthy and white. We would all benefit from the accountability, brilliance, and care Marion would bring to the role of City council member. Her professional and lived experiences make her uniquely qualified to address our cities complex issues with strength and gusto.

From Marcus Morrow, he/him. Former PA board member. 

I'm excited for Marion to represent Durham because I've seen her tirelessly work to understand the needs of the underserved in our community. Marion is the rare type of leader who not only advocates for the powerless in our community, but also has the experience and knowledge of how policy can affect change. I love Durham and I want a council with leaders who care about creating a community that embraces equality and fairness for Durham residents of different classes and race. I believe that Marion is that type of leader and I'm glad she will be representing Durham.  

From Brian Kennedy, he/him. Former Human Relations Commission member. 

Early voting in the 2021 Durham Municipal Primary begins on September 16, and continues every day through October 2. Election Day in the Durham Municipal Primary is Tuesday, October 5.

We need your help getting the word out to voters about the People's Alliance PAC-endorsed slate of candidates. Sign up to volunteer for our progressive slate of candidates! Donate to help defray the cost of our mailer and paid poll workers!

The very helpful information provided by the Durham County Board of Elections about early voting in the Municipal Primary appears below.

Javiera Caballero, Marion T. Johnson, Mark-Anthony Middleton, AJ Williams, and Dorothy Hairston Mitchell Endorsed!

On Wednesday evening, September 1, members of the People’s Alliance PAC in Durham met to debate and decide which candidates running for municipal office in 2021 would get the group’s endorsement.  Over four hundred people attended the virtual meeting.  

PA PAC is a political action committee that shares a common vision and membership with the progressive People’s Alliance in Durham. In recent years membership in the People’s Alliance has swelled and the PAC’s influence in elections has grown. Nearly every currently-serving official elected by Durham voters was endorsed by PA PAC. In advance of this year’s endorsement meeting, the PAC solicited responses to questionnaires from candidates running for mayor and city council and those seeking the governor’s judicial appointment to the open District Court seat. PAC volunteers also interviewed the vast majority of the candidates and shared their recommendations at the endorsement meeting.

Endorsement decisions are made by the PAC membership at a meeting in advance of elections every year.  At the meeting, PAC committees who have studied the candidates make recommendations, but ultimately the endorsement is decided by a vote of the members after rigorous debate.  During Wednesday’s meeting, hundreds of people rose virtually to speak during the debate over these endorsements.  The meeting ran late into the night, with over 300 members staying until the very last endorsement decision was made. Candidates value the PA PAC endorsement and work hard within transparent PAC rules to make sure their supporters in the organization get to the meeting. PAC members attend to persuade and be persuaded.

The People’s Alliance endorsements are as follows:

Councilmember Javiera Caballero is the first Latina member of Durham City Council, and we are proud to endorse her to be the first Latina mayor in the Southeast (outside FL). Since her appointment and subsequent election to her seat, she has centered collaboration with community and immigrant justice in her work. She is policy centric and detail oriented, making her every move rooted in racial equity and environmental justice while staying grounded in political reality. In a rapidly changing Durham, Javiera Caballero is the person we need as the next Mayor of Durham.

As a daughter of Nigerian immigrants, and as a fierce advocate for justice for our LGBT communities and for the participation of community in government, Marion T. Johnson is an essential voice in Durham. From her work opposing Amendment One to her chairing of Durham’s experiment in radical and inclusive democracy through Participatory Budgeting, Marion T. Johnson is a necessary leader for our time. We are extremely proud to endorse her for Durham City Council, Ward 1.

Councilmember Mark-Anthony Middleton has been a steadfast voice for community engagement throughout his time on City Council. His championing of Guaranteed Basic Income, his work with immigrant communities, and his willingness to listen to various perspectives and make connections with citizens on a grassroots level are so very necessary as we recover from COVID-19. The People’s Alliance believes that Mark-Anthony Middleton is the best candidate for Durham City Council, Ward 2.

AJ Williams’s extensive work with the Durham Black Mamas’ Bailout, Southerners on New Ground, Durham Beyond Policing, and the We Are the Ones Fund demonstrates a depth of rootedness in community organizing that few others can claim. His unique insights into alternative models of community safety at a time when our city struggles with violence are truly essential. As a fresh voice bringing new ideas, AJ Williams is truly a superb candidate for Durham City Council, Ward 3.

Attorney Dorothy Hairston Mitchell’s long and distinguished career in public service as well as private practice shows a deep and abiding commitment to the application of progressive principles in the judicial system. She is highly qualified and strongly committed to the application of law as true justice. Attorney Hairston Mitchell would be a true champion of those in most need if she is appointed to District Court Judge by Governor Roy Cooper.

These progressive candidates are the most qualified and best prepared to serve the people of Durham, North Carolina, and the nation. PA PAC is dedicated to helping them win.

The PAC’s support of its slate of candidates only begins with the endorsement. PA PAC campaigns for its candidates with organizing, events, mailings, social media, canvassing and poll work.  This work is managed by a committee of volunteer PAC coordinators elected by the membership. Members donate money to support the PAC campaign and volunteer for poll work and the many other tasks that are necessary to win elections.

PA PAC will prepare and distribute more information about the candidates as the elections draw nearer. Watch www.peoplesalliancepac.org for more information.

For more information about People’s Alliance and its vision, visit www.durhampa.org. 

Each election, PA PAC develops a candidate questionnaire to better understand the candidates' positions on important issues facing Durham. The questionnaires and resumes received to date from candidates for mayor and city council are available below.  

People's Alliance members will consider questionnaires, the recommendation of our interview committee, and the testimony of People's Alliance members when voting on endorsements at the People's Alliance PAC endorsement meeting on September 1. Only those registered for the meeting by August 27 at 5 pm who are current members of People's Alliance at that time will receive the link to join the endorsement meeting.

Register for the PA PAC candidates endorsement meeting on September 1 

Join People's Alliance or renew your membership.

Candidates for Mayor:

Rebecca Harvard Barnes - Questionnaire

Charlitta Burruss - Questionnaire | Biography

Javiera Caballero - Questionnaire | Biography

Bree Davis - No questionnaire received

Jahnmaud Lane - No questionnaire received

Elaine O'Neal - Questionnaire | Biography

Daryl Quick - No questionnaire received

Candidates for City Council Ward 1

Waldo Fenner - Questionnaire pending

DeDreana Freeman - Questionnaire | Biography

Marion T. Johnson - Questionnaire | Biography

Elizabeth Takla - Questionnaire

Candidates for City Council Ward 2

Robert L. Curtis, Jr. - No questionnaire received

Mark-Anthony Middleton - Questionnaire | Biography

Sylvester Williams - Questionnaire | Biography

Candidates for City Council Ward 3

AJ Williams - Questionnaire

Leonardo Williams - Questionnaire