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Mayoral election in Durham, North Carolina (2019)

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2021
2017
2019 Durham elections
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Election dates
Filing deadline: July 19, 2019
Primary election: October 8, 2019 (canceled)
General election: November 5, 2019
Election stats
Offices up: Mayor and city council
Total seats up: 4 (click here for other city elections)
Election type: Nonpartisan
Other municipal elections
U.S. municipal elections, 2019

The city of Durham, North Carolina, held a general election for mayor on November 5, 2019. A primary was scheduled for October 8, 2019, but it was canceled when only two candidates filed to run. The filing deadline for this election was July 19, 2019.[1]

Incumbent Steve Schewel won election in the general election for Mayor of Durham.

Elections

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Candidates and results

General election

General election for Mayor of Durham

Incumbent Steve Schewel defeated Sylvester Williams in the general election for Mayor of Durham on November 5, 2019.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Steve Schewel
Steve Schewel (Nonpartisan)
 
83.3
 
29,063
Image of Sylvester Williams
Sylvester Williams (Nonpartisan)
 
16.0
 
5,568
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.7
 
248

Total votes: 34,879
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Endorsements

The Durham People’s Alliance Political Action Committee endorsed incumbent Steve Schewel.[2]

Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Past elections

2017

See also: Mayoral election in Durham, North Carolina (2017) and Municipal elections in Durham, North Carolina (2017)

Durham, North Carolina, held a general election for mayor and the Ward 1, Ward 2, and Ward 3 seats on the city council on November 7, 2017. A primary election was held on October 10, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was July 21, 2017.[3] Steve Schewel defeated Farad Ali in the general election for mayor of Durham.[4]

Mayor of Durham, General Election, 2017
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Steve Schewel 59.45% 21,362
Farad Ali 40.22% 14,451
Write-in votes 0.34% 121
Total Votes 35,934
Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "11/07/2017 Official Municipal Election Results - Durham," accessed November 22, 2017


The following candidates ran in the primary election for mayor of Durham.[4]

Mayor of Durham, Primary Election, 2017
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Steve Schewel 51.04% 12,998
Green check mark transparent.png Farad Ali 29.14% 7,421
Pierce Freelon 15.94% 4,059
Sylvester Williams 1.33% 338
Kershemia Ramirez 1.16% 296
Tracy Drinker 0.99% 251
Michael Johnson 0.40% 101
Total Votes 25,464
Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "10/10/2017 Official Primary Election Results - Durham," accessed October 27, 2017

2015

See also: Durham, North Carolina municipal elections, 2015

The city of Durham, North Carolina, held elections for mayor and city council on November 3, 2015. A primary took place on October 6, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was July 17, 2015.[5][6] In the mayoral race, incumbent Bill Bell and James Lyons advanced past Tammy Lightfoot and John Everett in the primary election.[7][8] Bell defeated Lyons in the general election.

Mayor of Durham, General election, 2015
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png William V. Bell Incumbent 86.7% 16,296
James Lyons 12.9% 2,422
Write-in votes 0.41% 78
Total Votes 18,796
Source: "North Carolina State Board of Elections", "Official Municipal Election Results - Durham," accessed November 16, 2015


Durham Mayor Primary Election, 2015
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngWilliam V. Bell Incumbent 86.4% 11,415
Green check mark transparent.pngJames Lyons 8.1% 1,072
Tammy Lightfoot 3% 401
John Everett 2.5% 324
Total Votes 13,212
Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official primary election results," accessed November 16, 2015

2013

Mayor of Durham, General Election, 2013
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngBill Bell Incumbent 86.8% 15,595
Sylvester Williams 13.2% 2,378
Total Votes 17,973
Source: Durham County Board of Elections - 2013 General Election Results

2011

Mayor of Durham, General Election, 2011
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngBill Bell Incumbent 82.2% 18,829
Sylvester Williams 17.8% 4,066
Total Votes 22,895
Source: Durham County Board of Elections - 2011 General Election Results

2009

Mayor of Durham, General Election, 2009
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngBill Bell Incumbent 77.8% 8,417
Steven Williams 22.2% 2,396
Total Votes 10,813
Source: Durham County Board of Elections - 2009 General Election Results

Additional elections on the ballot

See also: North Carolina elections, 2019

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Mayoral partisanship

Once mayors elected in 2019 assumed office, the mayors of 65 of the country's 100 largest cities were affiliated with the Democratic Party. Out of the 31 mayoral elections that were held in 2019 in the 100 largest cities, five partisan changes occurred. Democrats gained three mayorships: two previously held by Republicans and one previously held by an independent. Republicans won one office held by an unaffiliated mayor, and one office where the incumbent's partisan affiliation was unknown.

In the elections in Phoenix, Arizona and Wichita, Kansas, Democrats won seats with Republican incumbents. In Wichita, Democrat Brandon Whipple defeated Republican incumbent Jeff Longwell. In Raleigh, North Carolina, a Democrat won a seat previously held by an independent. In Aurora, Colorado, a Republican succeeded an unaffiliated mayor. In Garland, Texas, a Republican succeeded a mayor with unknown party affiliation. Incumbents did not seek re-election in Phoenix, Raleigh, Aurora, or Garland.

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About the city

See also: Durham, North Carolina

Durham is a city in Durham County, North Carolina. As of 2010, its population was 228,330.

City government

See also: Council-manager government

The city of Durham uses a council-manager system. In this form of municipal government, an elected city council—which includes the mayor and serves as the city's primary legislative body—appoints a chief executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the council's policy and legislative initiatives.[9]

Demographics

The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.

Demographic Data for Durham, North Carolina
Durham North Carolina
Population 228,330 9,535,483
Land area (sq mi) 111 48,622
Race and ethnicity**
White 49.2% 68.7%
Black/African American 38.7% 21.4%
Asian 5.4% 2.9%
Native American 0.3% 1.2%
Pacific Islander 0% 0.1%
Other (single race) 3.4% 3.1%
Multiple 3.2% 2.7%
Hispanic/Latino 13.8% 9.4%
Education
High school graduation rate 88.1% 87.8%
College graduation rate 49.6% 31.3%
Income
Median household income $58,905 $54,602
Persons below poverty level 15.9% 14.7%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


State profile

See also: North Carolina and North Carolina elections, 2019
USA North Carolina location map.svg

Partisan data

The information in this section was current as of May 7, 2019

Presidential voting pattern

  • North Carolina voted Republican in six out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Congressional delegation

State executives

  • Democrats held four and Republicans held six of North Carolina's 20 state executive offices. Elections for the other offices are nonpartisan.
  • North Carolina's governor was Democrat Roy Cooper.

State legislature

North Carolina Party Control: 1992-2025
Fourteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Four years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D D D D
Senate D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

North Carolina quick stats

More North Carolina coverage on Ballotpedia:


Demographic data for North Carolina
 North CarolinaU.S.
Total population:10,035,186316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):48,6183,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:69.5%73.6%
Black/African American:21.5%12.6%
Asian:2.5%5.1%
Native American:1.2%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
Two or more:2.4%3%
Hispanic/Latino:8.8%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:85.8%86.7%
College graduation rate:28.4%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$46,868$53,889
Persons below poverty level:20.5%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in North Carolina.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Six of 100 North Carolina counties—6 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Bladen County, North Carolina 9.39% 1.97% 2.07%
Gates County, North Carolina 9.07% 4.11% 5.22%
Granville County, North Carolina 2.49% 4.54% 6.58%
Martin County, North Carolina 0.43% 4.65% 4.64%
Richmond County, North Carolina 9.74% 2.95% 1.50%
Robeson County, North Carolina 4.27% 17.41% 13.78%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won North Carolina with 49.8 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 46.2 percent. In presidential elections between 1792 and 2016, North Carolina voted Democratic 53.5 percent of the time and Republican 25 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, North Carolina voted Republican all five times with the exception of the 2008 presidential election.[10]

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in North Carolina. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[11][12]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 40 out of 120 state House districts in North Carolina with an average margin of victory of 38.3 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 44 out of 120 state House districts in North Carolina with an average margin of victory of 36.4 points. Clinton won three districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 80 out of 120 state House districts in North Carolina with an average margin of victory of 22.7 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 76 out of 120 state House districts in North Carolina with an average margin of victory of 27.7 points. Trump won five districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

See also

Durham, North Carolina North Carolina Municipal government Other local coverage
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External links

Footnotes