K'mari GreeneIncumbent Mayor Leonardo Williams and Anjanee Bell were the top two vote-getters Tuesday in Durham’s mayoral primary election and will face each other in the Nov. 4 general election.
Ward 1’s Matt Kopac and incumbent DeDreana Freeman, Ward 2’s Shanetta Burris and incumbent Mark-Anthony Middleton, and Ward 3’s Chelsea Cook and Diana Medoff will also appear on the final ballot for the Durham City Council. Williams received about 56% of votes cast in the mayor’s race, and Bell, the daughter of former mayor Bill Bell, received about 30%.
This is Burris’ second time running for city council after her 2023 candidacy, this time surpassing incumbent Ward 2 candidate Middleton by nearly 10%. Kopac also secured almost 2% more votes than incumbent Freeman.
The winning candidates will join the Durham City Council shortly after the general election and will tackle key issues such as the city’s approach to infrastructure, housing affordability, crime, and city and university relationships.
More than 25,000 voters cast a ballot, about 12% of Durham’s total registered voters.
“I voted…because stuff like housing availability and the cost of living affect me every day as a student,” Devon Artis, a sophomore business administration student, said. “This is my second year ever voting, and I really want to see some change.”
Here is a list of the ballot count for each candidate:
Mayor
Leonardo (Leo) Williams – 13,761 (55.47%)
Anjanee Bell – 7,357 (29.66%)
Pablo Friedmann – 3,067 (12.36%)
Lloyd A. Phillips – 321 (1.29%)
Rafiq Zaidi – 301 (1.21%)
Ward 1
Matt Kopac – 10,071 (40.89%)
DeDreana Freeman – 9,620 (39.05%)
Andrea Cazales – 2,069 (8.40%)
Sheryl Smith – 502 (2.04%)
Samaria McKenzie – 430 (1.75%)
Ward 2
Shanetta Burris – 11,737 (49.31%)
Mark-Anthony Middleton – 9,411 (39.54%)
Ashely N. Robbins – 2,655 (11.15%)
Ward 3
Chelsea Cook – 14,707 (59.82%)
Diana Medoff – 6,237 (25.37%)
Terry McCann – 2,742 (11.15%)
Durant Long – 900 (3.66%)
