The City of Durham has hired a lobbying firm that includes some well-connected Republicans to represent the city’s interests in the North Carolina General Assembly.
Mayor Leonardo Williams announced the city’s partnership with Checkmate Government Relations at a special meeting between the City Council and Durham’s legislative delegation on Jan. 30.
As a city that voted overwhelmingly for Kamala Harris and is represented by all Democrats in the N. C. General Assembly, Durham does not have much influence in the Republican-controlled state legislature.
“I’m glad that Durham has hired a lobbyist, because it’s the correct response to the challenges of our time. A strong firm in addition to a strong delegation can hopefully do more for Durham,” State Senator Sophia Chitlik (D-22) said in an interview.
Checkmate is headquartered in Winston-Salem and describes itself on its website as “the most versatile and well-rounded government relations firm.”
The firm has strong ties to the Trump administration. Chris LaCivita, father of Checkmate Public Affairs Director Chris LaCivita Jr., was a senior advisor and co-campaign manager for President Trump’s 2024 campaign. LaCivita Jr. is also an avid fan of President Trump, as evidenced on his page on the social media platform X.
The company recently announced a partnership with Miller Strategies, another firm with strong connections to the Trump administration.
Checkmate Managing Partner Ches McDowell, Director of National Strategy Fritz Vaughan, and Government Relations Director Hampton Billips are all registered Republicans.
Checkmate’s relationships with both Republicans and Democrats were a draw for Mayor Williams.
Bipartisanship was “one of the main reasons we chose them,” Williams said. “I’m always open to working in a bipartisan manner, as long as it’s sensible.”
“They literally are everywhere, and their tentacles reach deep into the General Assembly, so I’m confident that we’ve chosen the right team,” he said.
Despite the firm’s claims of well-roundedness, however, none of the Republican members of Checkmate were present at the meeting.
The company sent two representatives, John Easterling and Nelson Freeman, to speak. Easterling is one of Checkmate’s government relations directors, and Freeman is chief operating officer. Both are registered Democrats.
The decision to hire the lobbying firm was well-received by those present at the meeting. Checkmate will be useful in a legislature where Democratic senators are in the minority, Chitlik said.
“Because of gerrymandering, there’s only 20 of us. That’s not actually representative of our state. And gerrymandering has reduced our power really significantly,” she said.
Despite just beginning operations in December 2023, Checkmate has an impressive client list including Charlotte, North Carolina.
By hiring the firm, Williams said he was prioritizing feasibility for achieving Durham’s goals in the state legislature.
Durham is facing potential challenges on the federal level as well. Recent funding cuts by the new Trump administration have created a lot of uncertainty about many federal programs that affect Durham residents.
In response, Durham has also hired Washington, D.C.-based federal lobbyists, The Ferguson Group, Mayor Williams said at the meeting.
In the state legislature, Assistant City Manager and Chief of Staff Karmisha Wallace said the city’s top three legislative priorities are: granting the Durham City-County Planning Department the authority to issue electronic notices, restoring local downzoning authority for land use projects, and providing more funding for five parks with potential soil and lead contamination in Durham.
The state delegation appeared receptive to these priorities.
Other council members mentioned that down the road, they would like to tackle longer-term goals for Durham, including increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 to $18, adding paid sick leave for working families, and removing the ban on SNAP benefits for felony drug offenders.
But council members agreed that those goals aren’t achievable this term.
“This is not a time to be going after everything on our wish list,” Middleton said.
Durham residents will soon see what Checkmate ends up accomplishing for them in 2025.
Above: A screenshot of Chris LaCivita Jr.’s account on the social media platform X. LaCivita Jr. is pictured at far left.
