• How the Durham DA Race is Shaping Up
  • Photo Exhibit Looks at the World of Teen Boys
  • Op-Ed: Changing the Country’s Path Starts with the March Primary
  • ICYMI: Meet the Candidates for Wake DA
  • Raleigh to Asheville by Train?
Credit: Illustration by Nicole Pajor Moore

Good morning, readers,

Durham District Attorney Satana Deberry is facing off against challenger Jonathan Wilson in a rematch of the 2022 Democratic primary.

Last election, Deberry dominated, securing 79% of the vote, but four years later, the tides could be shifting for one of North Carolina’s most progressive prosecutors.

Deberry and Wilson split the major local PAC endorsements this cycle—Deberry won the People’s Alliance, while Wilson won the Durham Committee.

Proponents say Deberry is committed to “humane prosecution, reducing racial disparities, and supporting victims.” Deberry has made the DA’s office less punitive for low-level offenders, instead working with partner organizations on new diversion programs to get people the services and treatment they need to improve social outcomes. She has continued the driver’s license restoration initiative and worked with local law enforcement to clear Durham’s entire backlog of sexual assault kits, becoming the first municipality in the state to reach that milestone.

But Deberry’s detractors say her office has been too soft on crime, pointing to an uptick in break-ins and robberies downtown. Wilson says he is ready to bring a new voice to the district attorney’s office, and has the “experience, the knowledge, and the trial skills” to win the primary come March.

Early voting begins on Thursday. See you in line!

—Justin

Read the Full Story on INDYWeek.com

The latest from INDY, plus other stories around the state you’ll want to read. Handpicked every day by INDY Editor-in-Chief Sarah Willets.

"Nekko, Henry, and Miguel." Photo by Bill Bamberger.

Picture Day

INDY’s Justin Laidlaw talks with photographer Bill Bamberger, whose portraits of students at Durham School of the Arts are now on display in Chapel Hill.

Credit: Courtesy of Jane Harrison

Vote for Future Generations

We can shift away from authoritarian control this year, a Raleigh City Council member writes, but voters must show up to the polls en masse.

Credit: Illustration by Nicole Pajor Moore

For the State

A three-way primary will decide who succeeds Wake’s longtime district attorney. INDY’s Jane Porter talks with the candidates about what they’d do differently, or not.

Sponsored Content

LOCAL: The City of Durham has $1 million in unspent funds meant to help people living with HIV and AIDS, WUNC reports.

STATE: NC Newsline reports that a program offering rebates for home efficiency upgrades is now available statewide.

EDUCATION: UNC Chapel-Hill is finalizing a policy that would allow administrators, in some cases, to secretly record faculty, The Assembly reports.

Paid Advertisement

Love The INDY? Join the INDY Press Club.
Support the ambitions of local journalism (plus, enjoy a few perks).

Become a Member
  • Parents, guardians and chaperones: The LGBTQ Center of Raleigh’s popular annual teen dance is coming up on Friday.
  • And, good news for those of us who are always out of town Thanksgiving weekend: The Scrap Exchange in Durham is hosting a bonus Valentine’s SmashFest on Friday.
  • NCDOT is looking to connect Western NC to the state’s existing rail lines, which could mean a Raleigh to Asheville train, Triangle Business Journal reports.
Follow INDY Week on Social Media