Durham’s voters wanted fresh blood.
On Tuesday, they chose newcomers Matt Kopac and Shanetta Burris for the City Council, ousting DeDreana Freeman and Mark-Anthony Middleton.
The only member to stay in office was Chelsea Cook, who retained her appointed seat in her first electoral win, beating challenger Diana Medoff.
Kopac and Burris have been active in local politics — Kopac as a member of the Planning Commission, and Burris as an organizer with groups such as Durham CAN and Supermajority — but neither has held elected office before.
Kopac won endorsements from Indy Week and Friends of Durham, which had previously backed Freeman. Burris was endorsed by Durham People’s Alliance and Indy Week, which backed Middleton’s run in 2021.
Two issues — safety and affordable housing — dominated the campaigns. The candidates broadly agreed on those goals but differed in nuance and priorities.
The closest race of the night was Ward 1, between incumbent Councilwoman Freeman, who was first elected in 2017, and Kopac. He edged Freeman by just 354 votes in the primary. Both focused on environmentally friendly infrastructure and affordable housing; Kopac emphasized the local economy and safety, while Freeman said she would prioritize socio-economic justice.
Ward 2 pitted Mayor Pro Tempore Middleton against Burris. In the primary, Burris beat Middleton by almost 10%. Though both candidates focused on the twin issues of affordability and safety, Burris was more cautious in her approach to development and promised to have a more “community-rooted” approach to constituents.
In the Ward 3 primary, Councilmember Cook, who had been appointed in 2024 after then-Councilmember Leonardo Williams became Mayor, won nearly 60% of the vote to Medoff’s 25%. Both advocated for more public spaces, violence prevention, and economic development. Cook pledged to encourage and invest in “100% affordable housing developments,” while Medoff emphasized Durham’s “missing middle housing.”
Photo at top: Voters in Durham opted more for newcomers. Photo by Jack Regan – The 9th Street Journal
