Durham City Council picks Legal Aid attorney to finish mayor’s former council term

The Durham City Council picked attorney Chelsea Cook on Tuesday to finish Mayor Leo Williams’ former council term.

Four finalists were competing for the Ward 3 seat, representing the western side of the city.

On the first ballot, Cook and Shelia Huggins received three votes each, according to ABC11 The News & Observer’s media partner.

On the second ballot, Cook won the seat with a unanimous decision.

She was sworn in Tuesday night. The post comes with a $35,200 annual salary.

Who is Chelsea Cook?

• Who she is: An attorney working in eviction diversion for Legal Aid of North Carolina

• One big idea: Cook has big ideas about how to make housing more affordable and reducing homelessness, including establishing a rental assistance program and incentivizing the acceptance of housing vouchers,

• Where she stumbled during her council interview: She was unable to talk in specifics about zoning cases, but said she appreciated the city’s efforts to limit suburban sprawl.

• Restaurant recommendation: Friday oxtails at The Chicken Hut.
  
  

• Standout supporter: Sophie Mayer: “Her credentials, as you know, are impeccable. But I’ll add she’s probably the only council member candidate who has waited tables and driven Uber in our city... People gravitate toward Chelsea and they remember her for how she made them feel: heard, appreciated, leveled with and uplifted. Sometimes challenged as well, but always respectfully and with a true desire to find solutions and common ground.”

• How she became a finalist: With votes from DeDreana Freeman, Javiera Caballero, Carl Rist and Nate Baker.

Here is a closer look at the three finalists she defeated.

Shelia Ann Huggins

• Who she is: An attorney with several years of city government experience. She has twice run for election to the council — most recently in 2023 — and has applied to three previous vacancies.

• One big idea: Huggins is passionate about connecting people with jobs, with goals around workforce development and recruiting high-paying businesses to the area.

• Where she stumbled during her council interview: Huggins briefly startled the council by bringing up “Silence of the Lambs” when asked about leaders she looks up to. She referenced a line about coveting “what you see every day,” which for her meant a life of public service because of her parents’ careers. “I thought you were going to say Hannibal Lecter,” Mayor Pro Tem Mark-Anthony Middleton said with a laugh.
  
  

• Leaders who inspire: Her parents.

• Standout supporter: Thelma Glenn White: “Even when Shelia didn’t win in 2017, she stayed involved and she stayed committed, because she believes in Durham and wants to make it a better place for all of us. I’ve seen plenty of people run for office and when they didn’t win, you never saw or heard from them again. That’s not Shelia.”
  
  

• How she became a finalist: With support from Leonardo Williams, Mark-Anthony Middleton, Javiera Caballero, Carl Rist and Nate Baker.

Chastan Swain

• Who he is: A law and policy adviser for the state who moved to Durham five years ago. His background before law school was in ceramics.

• One big idea: Swain applauded the council’s efforts to densify in the urban core, but said he’s concerned about the environmental and societal impacts of rapid development in exurban areas, like southeast Durham.

• Where he stumbled during his council interview: He is a lifelong North Carolinian but had to work to convince council members about his commitment to staying in Durham. Swain said both he and his husband have fallen in love with the city as their involvement has snowballed.
  
  

• Leaders who inspire: Pauli Murray for their trailblazing leadership in LGBTQ civil rights. U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson for making politics accessible to Gen Z.

• Restaurant recommendations: Isaac’s Bagels. Saltbox. Two Roosters Ice Cream.

• Standout supporter: Chris Dreps: “Even while completing his law degree at UNC-Chapel Hill, serving as the president of the Graduate Student Council and serving on the Durham Environmental Affairs Board, Chastan was an active and important member of (the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association) board and committee. He is very knowledgeable about key environmental issues facing our city.”

• How he became a finalist: With votes from Leonardo Williams, Mark-Anthony Middleton, Javiera Caballero and Carl Rist.

Amanda Borer

• Who she is: A public health administrator at Duke who moved to Durham in 2010.

• One big idea: Borer is passionate about elder care and wants Durham to invest in supports systems as a workforce development strategy, addressing issues that derail individuals from keeping their jobs, such as lack of childcare and transportation.

• Where she stumbled during her council interview: When asked about zoning decisions, Borer was unable to talk specifically about any cases other than SCAD, a package of reforms that passed late last year.
  
  

• Leader who inspires: Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

• Restaurant recommendation: Can’t pick just one.

• Standout supporter: Leanne Clark-Shirley: “Since I’ve known her, Amanda has run full-speed to problems that need to be solved or opportunities to make things better than they are today... She understands and can remind us that aging isn’t something to be feared or viewed as a threat.”

• How she became a finalist: With votes from DeDreana Freeman, Javiera Caballero, Carl Rist and Nate Baker.