Durham voters opted for new faces in several Super Tuesday contests, including a state Senate seat and the Durham County Board of Commissioners.
Newcomer Sophia Chitlik defeated longtime state Senator Mike Woodard in the race for a state Senate seat.
Voters also tapped the next set of leaders for Durham County. Three newcomers —Michelle Burton, Mike Lee, and Stephen Valentine will join the Board of Commissioners. They will serve alongside incumbents Nida Allam and Wendy Jacobs, who won reelection.
Durham District Attorney lost her bid for North Carolina’s Attorney General to Democrat Jeff Jackson despite receiving a large showing of support in her hometown. It wasn’t enough to overtake Jackson, who is currently serving a term in the U.S. House of Representatives representing North Carolina’s 14th district and who is also known for his popular viral videos about politics.
“We ran a strong ground game. Our goal was to be visible— see as many voters as we could, actually touch as many people as we could,” Deberry said Tuesday as results were rolling in.
Meanwhile, for many voters, the Durham Public Schools drama loomed over the election — even with just one contested school board seat on the ballot.
Above: Durhamites cast their ballots as poll workers stand by. Photo of a Durham voter’s handwritten voting reminders by Abigail Bromberger — The 9th Street Journal. Other photos by Kulsoom Rizavi — The 9th Street Journal