City Council member and restaurant owner Leonardo Williams running for Durham mayor
A second Durham City Council member has joined the race for mayor, with Leonardo Williams announcing his campaign Thursday morning.
“I love Durham. This city has given me and my family so much. This campaign isn’t about me. It’s about what’s best for our city now and creating a legacy for the future,” Williams said in a press release.
The restaurant owner is in his first term on the City Council. He will face at least four other candidates, including one of his colleagues:
State Sen. Mike Woodard, a former council members and the first major name to file
City Council member DeDreana Freeman, who filed to run two days before Williams
Charlitta Burruss and Sylvester Williams, neither of whom has gotten traction in prior runs for local office
Williams said he has received considerable support, especially from fellow business owners, but was hesitant to run against Mayor Pro Tem Mark-Anthony Middleton.
On Wednesday, Middleton said he had decided against running after “a time of prayerful consideration and conversations with family, friends and trusted advisers.”
Voters will narrow the field to two candidates in the Oct. 10 primary before picking a mayor on Nov. 7. Other potential candidates have until noon Friday to file with Board of Elections
Durham’s current mayor, Elaine O’Neal, announced last month that she would not run again, making her the first mayor in 30 years to serve only one term.
Steve Schewel spent four years in the job before O’Neal, while his predecessor Bill Bell lasted 16 years before retiring.
Chester Jenkins, the first African-American man elected mayor, served one term in 1989. O’Neal, a former judge, is the first African American woman elected mayor.
Guide to Durham’s 2023 elections: A wide-open race for mayor and 3 City Council seats.
Two different views from the City Council
Williams, who often goes by Leo, owns the Zimbabwean restaurants Zweli’s Kitchen and Ekhaya with his wife Zweli Williams. They have three locations in Durham. He played up his small business experience in his announcement.
“Durham’s next transformation is just beginning. As a city, we do face serious challenges, yet our opportunities are far greater,” he said.
Williams tends to vote in favor of annexations and housing developments, while Freeman reliably votes against them. The lines often fall 4-3, with Freeman on the losing side.
Both Williams and Freeman can keep their seats on the council if they lose the race for mayor.
Williams is a Halifax County native and former educator. He was first elected to the City Council in 2021, squeaking by his opponent by 593 votes.
He was endorsed in that election by the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People PAC, while the People’s Alliance PAC picked his opponent.
Back in 2020, Leonardo and Zweli Williams attended the final presidential debate as the hand-picked guests of then-candidate Joe Biden.
Williams convened with supporters at the Board of Elections at noon Thursday to officially file in the mayor’s race. He plans to kick off his campaign with a speech at noon Friday at the Black Wall Street marker on Parrish Street.
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