Why deep-blue Durham is choosing a state lawmaker early
All 170 seats in the North Carolina General Assembly are up for election in November. But there’s one seat that will be filled, and most likely stay that way, before winter turns to spring.
The primary on March 3 is expected to determine who represents Senate District 20 in Durham for the rest of 2020, and likely the following two years, too.
To understand why, you have to understand Bull City politics.
Durham is a progressive city. Everyone on Durham City Council is a Democrat. The Durham delegation in the state legislature is all Democrats, too — Rep. Marcia Morey, Rep. MaryAnn Black, Rep. Zack Hawkins, Sen. Mike Woodard, Rep. Robert Reives and recently appointed Sen. H.M. “Mickey” Michaux.
Black isn’t running again, and City Council member Vernetta Alston is running unopposed, one of just eight candidates for House across the state who doesn’t have an opponent. Natalie Murdock, Pierce Freelon and Gray Ellis are running in the Durham Democratic primary for the District 20 seat previously held by Sen. Floyd McKissick Jr. and now temporarily by Michaux.
So there will be two new lawmakers from the Durham delegation by 2021 — Alston in the House and a new senator, who will start her or his job much sooner.
Why the primary matters
After McKissick resigned for a job on the N.C. Utilities Commission, Michaux was appointed earlier this month — but with the intent to step aside after the primary so Durham Democrats could appoint the primary winner.
He told the News & Observer in an interview that the Durham delegation to the legislature approached him a few days before the Democratic Party voted on his appointment.
Michaux said he made the decision with his wife and the delegation to serve just until the primary. He said it made sense for the primary winner to “have a leg up in terms of seniority or whatever happens, because they would be active in the short session.”
The legislature returns for its election-year session, known as the short session, on April 28.
The only Republican candidate is John Tarantino, a former teacher who has run unsuccessfully in most recent Durham elections at multiple levels. Durham voters are majority Democrat, with almost five registered Democrats for every Republican in 2020.
Durham has elected Republicans, including former Mayor Nick Tennyson, who led the N.C. Department of Transportation in Gov. Pat McCrory’s administration, as well as former council member Thomas Stith, who was McCrory’s chief of staff. But that was all more than a decade ago.
‘Endorsement town’
Michaux said Freelon, Murdock and Ellis are “three good folks” running in the primary. However, Michaux has endorsed Freelon, who is a musician and activist and has taught at UNC Chapel Hill and N.C. Central University.
“I think he’s young enough ... he can come in here and learn,” Michaux said. “I know him and know his family.” He said he’d rather not talk about the endorsement because he made it before considering accepting the appointment.
An endorsement from Michaux has been significant before. Hawkins replaced Michaux when he retired after decades in the House. Michaux endorsed Hawkins as he announced his run in the primary, and Hawkins made it through the primary unopposed.
Murdock is already an elected official — she is in her first term as a Durham County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor. She is also a small business owner and previously worked for Deborah Ross, who is now running for Congress.
Ellis is a family law attorney who said he stands out from the rest of the field because of his experience and not wanting to be a career politician. He said his understanding of the law and not having a political background is an asset. Ellis is also the first openly transgender man to run for the General Assembly.
Ellis said it’s the right time for a transgender lawmaker to have a seat at the table.
“We need new voices, fresh voices, people who are diverse with their opinions and their life experiences, and that’s certainly what you have with me,” he said.
Freelon’s campaign has raised $70,000 since August, he told the News & Observer in a phone interview. Being able to raise money was one of the lessons he learned during an unsuccessful run for Durham mayor in 2017, he said.
Freelon outraised Mayor Steve Schewel, though Schewel defeated him in the primary. Freelon now serves on the Durham Human Relations Commission, appointed by council. Schewel has endorsed Freelon, as has previous Mayor Bill Bell. Durham County Commissioners Chair Wendy Jacobs has endorsed Murdock.
Freelon and Murdock each got one of the two biggest political action committee endorsements. Freelon received the endorsement of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People and Murdock received the People’s Alliance PAC endorsement, which has endorsed more winning candidates than the committee in recent elections.
Murdock and Freelon each said they’d work across the aisle as McKissick did to get things accomplished. McKissick was known for working with Republicans.
McKissick is African American, as are Murdock and Freelon. Ellis is white. All three have been endorsed by Equality NC, the state’s LGBTQ advocacy organization.
Murdock was endorsed by the People’s Alliance during her soil and water supervisor campaign, too.
She said she read Durham described as “endorsement town” and agrees.
“It shows that you have [a PAC] organization with hundreds of members that support you ... that will get you across the finish line,” she said.
Murdock’s priorities include equal pay for equal work, health disparities for black women, public transit and how rural communities are affected by the state’s lack of Medicaid expansion.
Murdock said she would bring a fresh perspective, as Durham has not had a woman senator in several years. The Durham delegation includes one African-American woman on the House side, with Black; Alston is also an African-American woman. Alston has endorsed Murdock in the primary.
For more North Carolina government and politics news, listen to the Domecast politics podcast from The News & Observer and the NC Insider. You can find it on Megaphone, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts.
This story was originally published January 24, 2020 at 11:41 AM with the headline "Why deep-blue Durham is choosing a state lawmaker early."
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