The Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People Political Action Committee released its endorsements this week, breaking ranks with the People’s Alliance PAC in its recommendations for U.S. House, district attorney, and Durham school board candidates.
“I think we had an excellent meeting. It was excellent dialogue, excellent discussion. The process worked the way it should,” said Chair Floyd McKissick, Jr. “And I think that the slate that we came up with is a good, reasonable, balanced slate, and that the people that we endorsed, if elected, could provide outstanding public service to our community.”
The PAC endorsed former governor Roy Cooper for U.S. Senate, as well as incumbent Rep. Valerie Foushee for U.S. House District Four.
In other contested races, the committee backed incumbent Sophia Chitlik for N.C. Senate District 22 and Jonathan Wilson for district attorney. For the Durham school board, the PAC pledged support for current chair Bettina Umstead in addition to newcomers Natalie Bent Kitaif, Lauren Sartain and Xavier Cason.
James Whalen was endorsed for N.C. Court of Appeals Seat 3, and Myra Griffin was endorsed for state Superior Court.
The organization also backed current Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead and District Court candidates Doretta Walker and Clayton Jones.
Founded in 1935, the Durham Committee begins its endorsement process by sending each candidate a questionnaire tailored to their specific position. Candidates have 10 days to submit answers, and then each participates in a 30-minute interview. These preliminary steps are conducted by the eight- to 10-member executive committee in collaboration with the 64-member political committee.
The executive committee makes recommendations to the broader political committee, who then vote on the recommendations. At a subsequent virtual general body meeting — on Jan. 25 this year — all 400 members can either ratify or reject the recommendations. Rejection requires a two-thirds vote.
“It’s a little bit of an elaborate process, but it works,” McKissick said.
Members also had the chance to meet the candidates informally ahead of the vote. At a Jan. 22 event, each candidate had a minute to summarize why they deserved the organization’s endorsement — measured with a 60-second iPhone timer. Candidates and members lingered afterward to get to know one another.
The general body did not reject any recommendations this year, as is generally the case, McKissick said.
In the political committee meeting, the closest vote was between Deberry and Wilson for the district attorney endorsement. Wilson chairs the group’s Legal Redress Committee, he said.
“I think Satana has been a good DA, an effective DA…but I think there were those who felt like Jonathan Wilson deserved support, and I think he earned it, by virtue of getting out there and networking, doing what he needed to do,” McKissick said.
The committee supported Chitlik for state Senate despite having recently endorsed Freeman in her candidacy for City Council reelection in November 2025.
“Sophia was very, very, very strongly supported,” he said.
“People felt she had done an excellent job as the state senator, and was great in terms of what I call constituent connections — getting back to the community and talking to folks and addressing issues that were important. And people knew of her work in Black maternal health care before she became a state senator,” he said.
McKissick was not surprised by the endorsement of Foushee over challenger Nida Allam. He cited committee concerns over Allam’s lack of support as county commissioner for former county manager Wendell Davis and for Sheriff Birkhead’s proposal to build a new training facility, as well as a “lack of engagement with the African American community.”
“I think many people felt that Nida had not been a strong or vocal advocate when it came to issues of concern to many members of the Durham Committee, and more importantly, she had…cast votes that were problematic,” he said.
In contrast, committee members respect Foushee for her years of service as a county commissioner, school board member, state House representative and state senator before reaching the U.S. House as a Black woman, he said.
The endorsements of Foushee and Wilson, in addition to endorsements for school board candidates Bettina Umstead and Lauren Sartain, N.C. Court of Appeals seat 3 candidate James Whalen, and District Court candidates Doretta Walker and Clayton Jones, differed from recent endorsements by the People’s Alliance PAC. Each PAC has their own evaluation process, and McKissick said the Durham Committee is not influenced by other organizations.
The Durham Committee will continue to publicize and promote its slate of endorsements ahead of early voting, which begins on Feb. 12, and Election Day on Tuesday, March 3.
Above: Jonathan Wilson, who received the Durham Committee’s endorsement for Durham District Attorney, chat with members at a recent gathering ahead of the endorsement vote. Photo by Reece MacKinney — The 9th Street Journal
Sophie Endrud
