Javiera Caballero, candidate for mayor in Durham, NC

Seven candidates are running for Durham mayor after Steve Schewel decided not to seek a third term.

Early voting in the non-partisan Oct 5 primary begins Sept. 16 and runs through Oct. 2. The top two finishers will face each other in the Nov. 2 general election.

To find polling places and full details on early voting, visit www.dcovotes.com or contact the Board of Elections at 919-560-0700 or elections@dconc.gov

Name: Javiera Caballero

Age: 43

Residence: Durham

Occupation: Durham City Council member

Education: Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Appalachian State University

Political or civic experience: Durham City Council member since January 2018, previously involved in parent organizing and volunteering in DPS schools.

Campaign website: www.javieraformayor.com

What is the city doing right, and wrong, on gun violence?

We have made a tremendous amount of progress in how we deal with community safety in Durham. We still have a long way to go. I know that is frustrating for Durham residents. We know that gun violence causes so much harm and pain in neighborhoods across our city. But we have made important decisions to help combat this violence.

The City Council approved the addition of six police officers to the city’s police gang unit. We also approved just under $1 million in funding for Bull City United, expanding the program to four additional census tracts (six total). The city of Durham and Durham County along with Durham Public Schools launched our first ever Community Safety and Wellness Task Force made up residents from across Durham to help provide guidance how we continue to move in relation to community safety.

Finally, with the budget we passed in June 2021 we created a new Community Safety Department. This department will allow us to methodically create alternatives to ensure our emergency response is the right one.

If elected, what would your two or three priorities be during your first year in office?

Affordable housing, community safety, and sustainability

What unique skills or life perspective would you bring to city governance?

I am a sitting Durham council member who was first appointed to my current seat in January 2018. I ran for one of the at-large seats and won in fall 2019. During my time on City Council we have managed a pandemic and pandemic response. We fully funded the affordable housing bond overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2019. It is the largest affordable housing effort ever mounted in NC. We increased our Capital Improvement Plan spending in order to add $6 million annually for green infrastructure projects in neighborhoods that have historically experienced disinvestment. We created a community safety department that is completely independent of the police department and will help Durham soon lead the nation in the appropriate response to 911 calls. And those are just a few examples.

This story was originally published September 14, 2021 at 6:44 PM with the headline "Javiera Caballero, candidate for mayor in Durham, NC."