People’s Alliance PAC applauds the appointment of Javiera Caballero to the Durham City Council.  Caballero will be a passionate and effective advocate for the Latinx community and all of Durham as we take on the many challenges before us.  While her personal experience provides her with a special sensitivity and insight into the problems and aspirations of the Latinx community, she is not limited by that experience. We believe she will be a powerful voice for the people of Durham.

The new Council promises to be strongly progressive--poised to take on many of the city’s most pressing issues:  gentrification, police accountability, racial and economic justice and the environment.  We look to the new council to ensure that Durham truly is a city for all.  People’s Alliance PAC sincerely thanks the many candidates that put their names forward for consideration--Durham is the city that it is because of their commitment to its civic, educational and artistic institutions.  We hope that they will all renew their commitment to public life that brought them into this process.  Durham needs their voices now more than ever.  

Javiera Caballero was appointed by the six current members of the Durham City Council to fill the at-Large seat vacated by Mayor Steve Schewel during a special session held Tuesday, January 16.  She was sworn in immediately after her appointment and will serve the remainder of the term ending December 2019.  She was endorsed by the People’s Alliance PAC at its endorsement meeting held on Monday, January 8.

Javiera Caballero’s People’s Alliance PAC questionnaire is available here.

On Monday January 8, nearly 200 members of the People's Alliance convened to endorse a candidate for appointment to vacant City Council seat.  After nearly three hours of debate, PA members voted to recommend Javiera Caballero.  PA PAC thanks the remaining six finalists currently being considered for their commitment to Durham--they have dedicated their time and effort to putting forth a strong progressive vision for Durham. 

The at-Large seat, vacated by Mayor Steve Schewel will be filled by the currrent members of City Council.  Following the endorsement of Caballero, PA PAC coordinators sent the letter below to Mayor Steve Schewel and City Council members DeDreana Freeman, Vernetta Alston, Mark-Anthony Middleton, Jillian Johnson and Charlie Reece.

At a special session held Thursday January 4, the Durham City Council voted to shorten the list of applicants for the vacant at-large council seat from twenty-two to seven.  The seven candidates who made City Council’s cut are listed below.  Candidates who were not selected for further consideration will not be considered for endorsement by PA PAC.

PA PAC will interview six of these seven candidates in advance of its endorsement meeting scheduled for Monday January 8.  One candidate did not respond to the PAC’s invitation to participate in our endorsement process.  PAC’s coordinators will report on candidate interviews at our meeting Monday evening.

RSVP for the PA PAC candidate endorsement meeting on January 8

When available, candidate questionnaires and resumes are provided below.

Sheila Marlene Arias Abonza - Questionnaire and resume

Javiera Caballero - Questionnaire and resume

Pierce Freelon - Questionnaire and resume

Kaaren Haldeman - Questionnaire and resume

Shelia Huggins - Questionnaire | Resume (materials submitted for consideration for the Ward 3 PA PAC endorsement in advance of the August 29, 2017 endorsement meeting)

Carl Rist - Questionnaire and resume

Maria de Pilar Rocha-Goldberg - Questionnaire and resume

The complete list of applications submitted for the City Council at-Large vacancy is available here.

The complete list of completed City Council questionnaires is available here.

The candidates below submitted responses to the People's Alliance PAC questionnaire and have submitted an application for the City Council at-Large vacancy.

Nida Allam - Questionnaire and resume

Sheila Marlene Arias Abonza - Questionnaire and resume

Sammy Banawan - Questionnaire and resume

Solomon Burnette - Questionnaire and resume

Javiera Caballero - Questionnaire and resume

Fredrick Amos Davis - Questionnaire

Pierce Freelon - Questionnaire and resume

Kaaren Haldeman - Questionnaire and resume

Humberto Mercado - Questionnaire and resume

Carl Rist - Questionnaire and resume

Ann-Drea Small - Questionnaire and resume

The complete list of applications submitted for the City Council at-Large vacancy is available here.

The complete list of completed City Council questionnaires is available here.

On Monday January 8, People's Alliance PAC will meet to decide which candidate, if any, PA PAC members will endorse for appointment to the Durham City Council (to fill the vacancy created by Steve Schewel’s election to the office of Mayor of Durham).  The appointment decision will be made by the Durham City Council.  PA PAC will post candidate responses to questionnaires on the PAC webpage when they become available.

RSVP for the endorsement meeting here

If you are a 2017 PA member but have not renewed for 2018, you must renew your PA membership to attend the meeting and vote.  You can renew your membership at the door, but we strongly recommend renewing online in advance.

If you have joined PA for the first time after December 10, 2017, thirty days before the endorsement meeting, you may attend the endorsement meeting but will not be able to vote.