Voters overwhelmingly gave Mayor Leonardo Williams a second term on Tuesday, supporting his “Durham is Dope” enthusiasm and his strong support for development. At his election night party, he was dancing before the final results even came in.
By a margin of 58% to 42%, Williams defeated challenger Anjanée Bell, who had claimed the first-term mayor was not tough enough with developers and that the City Council he led was dysfunctional.
In a victory speech at Ekhaya, a restaurant he owns with his wife Zweli Williams, the mayor first complained about attacks and “smears” that he said were unfounded. But he then said, “We woke up with hope everyday. We woke up with love everyday. We woke up with community on our minds every single day.”
Despite criticisms about his coziness with developers and his occasional outbursts at citizens at Council meetings, Williams had won critical endorsements: The Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, the Friends of Durham, and the People’s Alliance PAC.
Williams consistently voted for major development projects that divided the Council, drawing criticism from the city’s most progressive residents.
Bell said she wanted a more deliberate and thorough consideration of new projects that would “guide development toward outcomes that serve the whole city,” she told The 9th Street Journal during the campaign.
After his victory speech, Williams told reporters that people misinterpreted his “yes” votes because they were unaware of the concessions that the city had won from developers. “Every yes vote is tough negotiating,” he said. “We have worked and negotiated and pushed them to the limit of what is legally possible.”
He said he would work with the new Council to find consensus. “If you’re crazy enough to run for office, I’m assuming you’re crazy enough to get things done together,” he said. “I look forward to working with everyone on the Council. ”
While Williams was brought back for a second term, two other incumbents on the City Council, Mark-Anthony Middleton and DeDreana Freeman, lost their reelection bids.
Photo at top: Mayor Leonardo Williams savors his reelection victory – Photo by Annelise Bowers – The 9th Street Journal
