{"id":11554,"date":"2024-02-19T19:11:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-19T19:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/?p=11554"},"modified":"2024-02-19T19:11:00","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T19:11:00","slug":"meet-the-candidate-brenda-howerton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/2024\/02\/19\/meet-the-candidate-brenda-howerton\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the candidate: Brenda Howerton"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editors’ Note: Eleven candidates \u2014 all Democrats \u2014 are vying for five seats on the Durham County Board of Commissioners in the March 5 election. No Republicans or Libertarians have entered the contest, so the March 5 results will determine who sits on the commission. The 9th Street Journal is speaking with each candidate in the race. In coming days, we’ll bring you profiles of all 11 candidates.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Brenda Howerton has never lost an election for county commissioner. And the long-time public official says she doesn\u2019t plan to start now.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Howerton is one of 11 Democrats vying for five seats on the Durham County Board of Commissioners. She has served on the board since 2008 and chaired the group from 2020 to 2023. Howerton says her years of experience are what set her apart in the race.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf I\u2019m elected, I come in and hit the ground running,\u201d she said. \u201cNo tutorials. I just go to work.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The native North Carolinian came to Durham in 1986 amidst a boom in the Research Triangle. Balancing education, work and raising four children as a single mother, she found a passion for executive coaching and leadership development. She worked with clients ranging from Rolls Royce to local Triangle-area businesses. \u201cI have that groundedness of working with people and really listening, hearing what people say,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tragedy rocked her family in the 1990s when she lost two sons to gun violence in separate incidents, one of which involved a police officer.<\/span><\/p>\n

The experiences fueled Howerton\u2019s interest in improving the lives of Durhamites. She got her political feet wet on the Durham County Soil and Water Conservation District Board before running for commissioner.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 12 years, Howerton\u2019s priorities have remained largely unchanged. She has long championed children\u2019s issues, education and affordable housing and has worked on initiatives ranging from criminal justice to economic development.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Howerton says education is especially important this year, as Durham Public Schools are in turmoil over budget issues.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The district revoked raises for around 1,300 classified DPS staff in January, causing protests and school closures. It is now $9 million short as it looks to fund those promised raises through the end of the fiscal year. Some classified workers have called on the Board of Education to request funding from the Board of County Commissioners.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Asked about the school pay dispute, Howerton responded by email, \u201cIf you check over the last three years as the Chair of the Board of County Commissioners I have supported totally funding DPS and if I am elected I plan on continuing in that capacity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Though her priorities have remained consistent, Howerton\u2019s perspective has shifted over her 16-year tenure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was first elected, you know, you have this idealistic thinking that you can cure all ills,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd then you get on the board and you realize they\u2019re larger than you ever imagined. You work and you work and you work, and I would like to be able to say that you can work yourself out of a job, but it\u2019s no such thing. The issues, still, are there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That realism has not tainted Howerton\u2019s optimism. \u201cYou just keep taking off small bites,\u201d she said. \u201cYou get something accomplished and then you move to the next level.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Howerton\u2019s leadership experience extends beyond the Board of County Commissioners. In October 2023, she became the first Black woman to chair the board of trustees for GoTriangle, the Triangle\u2019s regional public transportation provider. She learned the importance of accessible, well-connected public transit during her first years in Durham when she drove an unreliable used car to get to work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Though her appointment with GoTriangle is a large responsibility, Howerton says the new job has only deepened her commitment to the Bull City. She hopes to bring new state and federal-level partnerships to improve transportation in Durham.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To critics who say it\u2019s time for a new face on the commission, Howerton says, \u201cIt\u2019s not an easy job, but it\u2019s a satisfying job when you do the work. And I do the work.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Howerton has received endorsements from the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People and the Friends of Durham, among other groups.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The primary election will take place on Tuesday, March 5. Early voting is underway and continues through March 2.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Editors’ Note: Eleven candidates \u2014 all Democrats \u2014 are vying for five seats on the Durham County Board of Commissioners in the March 5 election.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":11558,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[392,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11554","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-elections-2024","category-local-government","entry"],"yoast_head":"\nMeet the candidate: Brenda Howerton - 9th Street Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/2024\/02\/19\/meet-the-candidate-brenda-howerton\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Meet the candidate: Brenda Howerton - 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