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It’s Friday, August 23.
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Welcome to the weekend, readers.
Last night, Durham’s “chief marketing officer,” Mayor Leonardo Williams, took the stage at the Democratic National Convention to spread the gospel about why Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were good for America’s small business owners. He came across as enthusiastic, if nervous.
But the fact that Williams, 43, was invited to represent the Bull City during DNC primetime is indicative of his rising star power.
So how did a former teacher turned restaurateur turned reluctant politician climb from humble beginnings in rural Halifax County to become the Bull City’s ringmaster?
Williams has only been in local politics for a short time; he was first elected to Durham city council in 2021. His style of “big-tent” coalition building won him the 2023 mayoral race. But since taking office in December, his egalitarian style of politics has lost Williams a few fans while also leading to compromises and significant policy victories.
While Williams has said he has no intention to seek higher office, he has a growing roster of friends in Washington with the post-debate dance parties on the RDU airport tarmac to prove it. Some wonder if his affinity for federal officials means Durham might not be his final destination.
At the INDY, it has been my job to try and understand what makes Durham tick and how the machinations of city government impact Durham residents. While reporting this story, I leaned on hundreds of hours spent inside city hall during council meetings, and conducted dozens of interviews with family, friends, colleagues, local business owners, community organizers, and anyone with an opinion on the mayor—which feels like everyone.
Read the profile here.
Happy Friday, readers.
—Justin
Durham
The Durham Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to approve the Durham School of the Arts closure and relocation.
Wake
Around 14 percent of N.C. State’s 38,000 students experience housing insecurity each year. A nonprofit is testing a short-term homestay model to try and address the issue.
Former debutantes take their gloves off in a new podcast about what the Raleigh Terpsichorean club claims is the last statewide debutante ball in the United States.
Orange
The long-awaited East Rosemary Street parking deck is set to open on Monday.
North Carolina
Gov. Roy Cooper delivered the final speech ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris’s official acceptance of the Democratic nomination for president last night.
Today’s weather
Clear with a high of 82 degrees.
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