After Progressive Stands, Freeman Faces Multiple Challengers in Ward 1
- Durham Dispatch
- Jul 9
- 11 min read
Updated: Jul 11
Since 2017, DeDreana Freeman has served Ward 1 on Durham city council. Her tenure has been notable for progressive stances on development issues, city worker wages, and a Gaza ceasefire resolution.
So far, challengers for the Ward 1 seat include Matt Kopac, a corporate sustainability advisor, Dr. Andrea Cazales, a NICU nurse, and Elijah King, the third vice chair of the state Democratic Party.
Development
The sharpest division on the Durham city council is a 4-3 split on development issues. Javiera Caballero, mayor pro tempore Mark-Antony Middleton, Carl Rist, and mayor Leonardo Williams rubber-stamp virtually all requests by property developers for zoning changes and consolidated annexations. Freeman, Chelsea Cook, and Nate Baker are less inclined to approve such requests, voting in favor around two-thirds of the time.
A recent development case, the Pickett Road Rezoning in March 2025, gives insight into the disagreements between the groups. Ascension Construction, a Maryland development company, asked city council for a rezoning decision that would allow 140 apartments on a small parcel of land in southeast Durham. Ascension’s case, argued by Nil Ghosh of Morningstar Law Group, was approved by the typical 4-3 vote.
The council’s majority group noted that the Pickett Road Rezoning was within the urban growth boundary, praised the high density of apartments, and thanked the development company for its proffer of sidewalk funding and 10% of units set aside for residents earning below the Area Median Income. If rezoning was denied, Caballero and Middleton warned, the landowner could theoretically build an inferior 'by right' project with less density and more expensive types of housing. During the debate over the rezoning decision, Rist plugged the book Abundance, which calls for deregulation of the housing market.
The three-member minority opposed the rezoning, but acknowledged that the rezoning request had some merits. Freeman said, “whenever there is a watershed, I’m a guaranteed no” and “when there are areas you know … have an ecological character such as Sandy Creek, it’s incredibly important to be good stewards of that area” [1, 2:39:20, 2:43:30]. She cautioned about building near floodplains and wetlands due to the threat of climate change. Cook said that “if it were in a different location I think that this would look really, really attractive” due to the housing density and the affordable units, but declined to support since the “connectivity is not there, the accessibility is not there” due to Pickett Road lacking sidewalks or even road shoulders [1, 3:05:00, 3:07:30]. Baker felt the proposal was “better than many big rezonings that we see” but pointed out that “there isn’t really much to walk to” in terms of nonresidential amenities like a shopping mall or grocery store [1, 2:20:15, 2:22:55]. Since Ascension was assured of a 4-3 victory, Freeman and her allies may have voted against the Pickett Road Rezoning to send a 'do better' message to the city's property developers.
Durham city council votes in 2024 on zoning changes and consolidated annexations
In November 2024, Freeman showed her willingness to stand up to powerful developers. She criticized two CEOs of development companies by name and threw in one of their lawyers for good measure during a hearing on the Doc Nichols Road Annexation.
Freeman said, “I want to be really blatantly honest. I am always disgusted whenever it’s a Jarrod Edens, Tim Sivers situation because I don’t feel like they respect this city. And we just continuously take it as they give it. Every time that Nil Ghosh comes up it’s always a very tenuous conversation because he knows he has the votes. It’s just hard to be really honest and sincere in these discussions in a way that’s actually beneficial to the residents of this community without acknowledging those situations that are on this side of this in a real way.” [3, 2:11:15]
Edens owns Edens Investments and Sivers owns Qunity. In March 2023, Edens accused the former councilwoman Dr. Monique Hosley-Hyman of extortion after she voted against the Carpenter Falls Annexation, one of Edens’ projects. Months later, the Durham district attorney announced that an North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation found “no evidence of extortion or misconduct”, but Holsey-Hyman had been successfully smeared and she wasn’t re-elected [4]. She had been one of Freeman’s allies on development issues.
How would the Ward 1 challengers handle the annexation and rezoning cases that come before Durham city council?
Kopac is a member of the Durham Planning Commission and therefore well qualified to decide on development cases. According to an observer of the commission who supports the minority group, his votes on annexation and rezoning tend to fall between the council’s two factions. Regarding the Picket Road Rezoning mentioned earlier, Kopac voted not to recommend the project. During a 2020 race for county commission, his major endorsements came from leading figures in the People’s Alliance (PA) such as Caballero and former mayor Steve Schewel [5]. If elected, Kopac would likely lean more toward the majority group on development issues than Freeman.
Cazales’ website mentions zoning in passing but doesn’t take a clear position on annexation and rezoning cases. In a recent social media post, Cazales seemed sympathetic to residents opposed the Howards Property Annexation [6].
Regarding that annexation, Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop said, “We will continue to fight for a better alternative to this sprawl-style approach to development and growth. As it is, I am grateful for those three councilmembers who continue to stand up for Durham’s residents.” The three members were Freeman, Cook, and Baker [7].
King’s campaign website includes a section on housing issues called A Place to Call Home For Everyone, but it doesn’t explain how he’d vote on the annexation and rezoning cases if elected to city council [8].
City Workers
Municipal employees in Durham dealt with real-terms pay cuts for at least two years after COVID struck. As the FY23-24 budget was debated, the city council split 4-3 on how quickly to raise wages back to ‘normal’ (below a living wage in many cases). Freeman and her allies took a losing vote in favor of raising wages more rapidly. Over the next year, union activism by city workers and shifting public opinion moved the city council towards Freeman’s position. When the FY24-25 budget was passed, UE Local 150 was able to celebrate its “largest wage increases in many years” [9].
Step raises for city workers were skipped in the FY20–21 budget and unusually low in FY21–22. During this period of real-terms wage cuts, the city council poured tens of millions of dollars into Durham’s rainy-day fund (general fund unassigned), which spiked from $51.9 million in FY19-20 to a record high of $76.5 million in FY22–23 [10, pg. 161].
In June 2023, before a final vote on the FY23-24 budget, former mayor Elaine O’Neal introduced a motion to give firefighters ‘reclassifications’ skipped during COVID, which would have set aside $8 million for pay raises. The motion was voted down 4-3. Freeman, Hosley-Hyman, and O’Neal voted in favor. Middleton, Caballero, Williams, and former council member Jillian Johnson voted against. The FY23-24 budget was approved by a 4-3 vote, with no reclassifications for firefighters [11].
City Worker Wage Increases
Wage Increases: FY18–19 [12a, pg. 5], FY19–20 [12b, pg. 4], FY20–21 [12c, pg. 3], FY21–22 [12d, pg. 3], FY22–23 [12e, pg. 13], FY23–24 [12f, pg. 15], FY24-25 [12g, pg. 15], FY25-26 [12h, pg. 15]
Market Adjustments: FY20-21 [UE Local 150], FY22–23 [12e, pg. 19], FY23–24 [12f, pg. 21], FY24-25 [12g, pg. 19], FY25-26 [12h, pg. 12]
Bonuses: FY21–22 [12d, pg. 10], FY23–24 [13]
Inflation Rate [15]
Budget Votes: FY18–19 [16a, 29:30], FY19–20 [16b, 1:41:30], FY20–21 [16c, 3:35:00], FY21–22 [16d, 50:00], FY22–23 [16e, 2:13:00], FY23–24 [16f, 2:52:00], FY24-25 [16g, 1:39:00], FY25-26 [16h, 1:53:00]
Middleton called O’Neal’s motion “posturing”. Williams was dismissive and said, “We can’t just swipe our credit card and say all right, oh well.” [11] Durham’s rainy-day fund was stocked with tens of millions of dollars at the time.
In September 2023, city workers in the Department of Solid Waste Management held a ‘stand down’ action. The News and Observer described how the sanitation workers “refused to load the city’s trucks, leaving trash and recycling bins at the curb, prompting the city to send independent contractors on their routes.” [13]
The strike’s causes were clear enough. Years of low pay and low raises had driven many city workers to pick up second jobs, move outside of Durham for cheaper housing, or simply quit. The city's inability to recruit or retain workers was driving up vacancy rates in many city departments. In October 2023, the Department of Public Works had only 55 out of 177 positions filled, a 69% vacancy rate [14].
The ‘stand down’ was technically illegal but it succeeded. The city council coughed up $6.5 million for bonuses, with all city workers receiving bonuses between $1,000 and 5,000. The strike was a turning point. UE Local 150 continued to strengthen itself and mobilized a great deal of public support over the following year. As a result, $28 million was set aside for raises in the FY24-25 budget, which passed unanimously. Municipal employees got an average raise of $8,000, with some up to $15,000 [9].
Caballero and Johnson, closely identified with the PA, voted against the motion to reclassify firefighters in FY23-24. Before the next budget vote, the PA bloc shuffled its personnel and shifted its position. Johnson stepped down and Carl Rist was elected. In January 2024, the city workers union reported that in a meeting with Caballero and Rist, the PA figures “vaguely committed to support us” on some priorities, while still opposing on other items such as reclassification of Solid Waste workers and a $25 per hour minimum wage for city workers.
Vacancy Rates in Durham City Departments
Citywide | Public Works | Emergency Comms | Police | Solid Waste | Fire |
16% | 17% | 34% | 29% | 7% | 13% |
Source: Indyweek, September 2024 [17]
Middleton and Williams remained oppositional in FY24-25, according to UE Local 150. Asked about city workers inability to afford living in Durham, the union claimed Williams said, "I never promised that city workers would be able to live in the city. It is out of my control." [9]
In contrast, UE Local 150 reported that Freeman, Cook, and Baker “firmly pledged support for our demands” in meetings held before the FY24-25 budget vote. Freeman and her allies also supported reclassification of Solid Waste workers, modifying the Living Wage Ordinance to pay workers at least $25 per hour, and calculating annual steps in a way that would be more fair to lower paid employees. They were unable to find a fourth vote to push through these items.
What are the stances of other candidates for Ward 1 on the issues of Durham city workers?
Kopac has a record of supporting labor unions and worker rights, but no publicly available view on the demands of Durham municipal employees in the last few years. He founded the Durham Living Wage Project and has attended rallies held by the Durham Association of Educators and Poor People’s Campaign.
Cazales has no public views on Durham city workers and her social media feeds don't directly comment on trade unions and worker rights. She has spoken out strongly against ICE, a vital form of advocacy for immigrant communities and undocumented members of the working class. In a post about an anti-ICE event, Cazales thanked Triangle Tenant Union and the Party for Socialism and Liberation Triangle chapter for their participation.
King has never commented on the issues of Durham municipal employees. He occasionally posts on social media in support of labor causes, such as a shout out for the Durham Association of Educators in June 2024. King’s platform includes a section called Small Business, Big Impact that mentions the word “business” forty eight times and the word “owner” seven times [18]. The word “worker” is mentioned five times, never in relation to trade unions or workers rights. The words “union” and “labor” are mentioned zero times.
Gaza
In February 2024, Freeman voted in favor of a Gaza ceasefire resolution that passed 5-2 in Durham city council. After casting her vote, she said that she believed Israel’s assault in Gaza rose to the level of genocide. Freeman, Baker, Cook, Caballero, and Rist voted in favor of the resolution. Middleton and Williams voted against it.
During the ceasefire hearing, Middleton explained how in 2023 he was flown out to Israel for a visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Knesset [19, 5:24:00]. Before voting against the resolution, Williams remarked that “ignorance is not always intentional, so I ask for your grace” [19, 5:45:45].
Kopac and King seem to have never mentioned Gaza or Palestine on their campaign websites or social media, although the variety and type of accounts makes it difficult to say with certainty.
Kopac has been vocal on other international issues. On X, he called for “devastating sanctions” on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, criticized US ally Qatar’s use of forced labor to prepare for the World Cup, noted the growing authoritarianism of US-backed Salvadoran dictator Nayib Bukele, and even mourned the death of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk who opposed the US invasion of South Vietnam. As a supporter of Durham county commissioner Nida Allam, Kopac indirectly criticized AIPAC for spending about $2 million to support Valerie Foushee during the 2022 primary race in NC-4 [20]. However, the post revolved around Foushee’s stance on campaign finance, rather than Palestinian rights.
Cazales posted an Instagram video in June 2025 that showed her participating in pro-Palestine chants, with a caption that drew parallels between the Mexico-US border wall and the separation wall that runs through the West Bank. She was attending a rally called "From LA to Raleigh: ICE Out". Cazales has several other posts showing support with Palestine.
In the summer 2021, King worked as a congressional staffer for former Rep. Kathy Manning, according to his Instagram. Throughout her tenure, Rep. Manning was known as a fervent supporter of Israel. King has never shared a personal view of the issue.
Work Cited
“Durham city council March 17 2025.” YouTube: City of Durham NC, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb_7s9D_Q5w
“How Durham city council voted on development in 2024.” Bull City Public Investigators, 17 December 2024, https://bcpi.substack.com/p/how-durham-city-council-voted-on
“Durham city council November 18 2024.” YouTube: City of Durham NC, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63oBFdmfI8k
“Durham Council Member Cleared by State Investigators Over Developer’s Extortion Allegation, Claims of Using City Staff for Campaign Work.” Indyweek, 19 September 2023, https://indyweek.com/news/durham/durham-council-member-cleared-by-state-investigators-over-developers-extortion-allegations/
“List of Endorsements.” Facebook: Matt Kopac, 2 March 2020, https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=198375718240055&set=a.120101872734107
“Post about Durham city council meeting.” Instagram: Andrea Cazales Instagram, 12 May 2025, https://www.instagram.com/p/DJjw7koRBdl/
“Durham council approves Howard property development.” Sound Rivers, 8 May 2025, https://soundrivers.org/durham-council-approves-howard-property-development/
“A Place to Call Home.” Elijah King for Durham, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SDn3BYHjVXBsdFxZOioQYbtJ_-x5qbJ9/view
UE Local 150, “Durham City Workers Win Largest Wage Increases in Many Years, But Fight for Fair Pay Continues.” Durham Dispatch, 23 June 2024, https://www.durhamdispatch.com/post/durham-city-workers-win-largest-wage-increases-in-many-years-but-fight-for-fair-pay-continues
“Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2023”. City of Durham, https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/53931/CITY-OF-DURHAM-FY23-ACFR---FINAL
“Durham’s budget passes at fiery meeting. What each City Council member said.” Raleigh News & Observer, 21 June 2023, https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article276583981.html
City of Durham Adopted Budgets
“Fiscal Year 2018–2019.” City of Durham, https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/22131/FY-2018-19-Adopted-Budget
“Fiscal Year 2019–2020.” City of Durham,https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/27412/FY20-Final-Budget
“Fiscal Year 2020–2021.” City of Durham, https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/32352/FY21-Final-Budget-Book?bidId=
“Fiscal Year 2021–2022.” City of Durham, https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/39290/FY22-Adopted-Budget-Book?bidId=
“Fiscal Year 2022–2023.” City of Durham, https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/46235/Final-FY23-Budget-Book
“Fiscal Year 2023–2024.” City of Durham, https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/52197/Fiscal-Year-2023-24-Adopted-Budget
“Fiscal Year 2024–2025.” City of Durham, hhttps://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/57292/FY25-COD-Adopted-Budget-Book
“Fiscal Year 2025–2026.” City of Durham, https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/60473/FY26-Proposed-Budget-Book
“City workers declare victory after Durham Oks bonuses. Here’s what they’ll get.” Raleigh News & Observer, 5 October 2023, https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article280117114.html
"North Carolina Sanitation Workers Strike for $5K Bonuses." Labor Notes, 5 October 2023, https://labornotes.org/2023/10/north-carolina-sanitation-workers-strike-5k-bonuses
“Current US Inflation Rates: 2000-2025.” US Inflation Calculator, https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/current-inflation-rates/
“Budget Votes.” YouTube: City of Durham NC
“Records Show Vacancies Across City of Durham Departments”, Indyweek, 11 November 2024, https://indyweek.com/news/durham/records-show-vacancies-across-city-of-durham-departments/
“Powered by People: Small Business, Big Impact.” Elijah King for Durham, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MkWKYVDG4x1GlFGqTk1UrqI_dM5wwF7j/view
“Durham city council February 19 2024.” YouTube: City of Durham NC, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwgMfJf8bp4
“Tweet about Foushee and Allam.” X: Matt Kopac, 13 May 2022, https://x.com/mattkopac/status/1525205973652148224