DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — Leonardo Williams has been reelected for a second two-year term as mayor of the City of Durham.
With his signature “Durham is Dope” phrase, Williams won a consecutive term in the city’s top office. Prior to his first successful campaign for mayor, he was elected to the Durham City Council in 2021.
During his first term as mayor, the former Durham Public Schools educator and administrator created the Bull City Future Fund. That effort is a partnership with United Way and the Triangle Community Foundation to raise funds and invest in local nonprofit groups focused on preventing youth violence and providing alternative environments for Durham’s youngest residents.
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Williams also gained national recognition during his first two years in office. He was a featured speaker at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago and was recently elected to the board of trustees for the African American Mayors Association.
According to his campaign website, Williams’ endorsements included support from Equality NC, current Durham County Commissioner Wendy Jacobs and former Durham mayor Steve Schewel.
Durham City Council elections
Three Durham City Council seats — for Wards 1, 2 and 3 — were also on the ballot in this year’s municipal elections.
Ward 1
Matt Kopac, who served on the city’s Planning Commission and Environmental Affairs Board, has unseated incumbent DeDreana Freeman to be the new councilmember for Ward 1. His campaign website lists his co-founding of Durham Living Wage among his accomplishments.
Ward 2
Shanetta Burris has unseated incumbent Mark-Anthony Middleton and will be the new councilmember for Ward 2. Burris, who earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from North Carolina Central University, has worked as a community and political organizer.
Ward 3
Chelsea Cook, who was unanimously appointed to the vacant Ward 3 seat in 2024, has been elected to retain her position. According to her campaign website, Cook is an attorney who has experience as an eviction defense lawyer.
