Durham incumbents sweep uncontested races

Durham County voters re-elected their local judges, prosecutors, and supervisors in Tuesday's general election. Most of these candidates faced little to no opposition. The high number of ballots cast suggests many residents voted primarily for statewide positions.

Sheriff Clarence Birkhead and District Attorney Satana Deberry secured third terms. Both officials won their primary contests without major hurdles and faced no challengers in the general election. Deberry, first elected in 2018, will become the county's longest-serving district attorney upon completing her new term.

The judicial bench saw two new arrivals. Myra Griffin, who won the March primary, will join the Superior Court. She replaces Michael O’Foghludha, who retired after 20 years of service. Griffin has served on the state Industrial Commission since 2005. In District Court, Christy A. Hamilton Malott took over the seat held by Clayton Jones, who stepped down this summer.

Other judicial seats remained in familiar hands. Superior Court Judge Josephine Kerr Davis won a second term without opposition. District Court judges Dave Hall, Kevin Jones, Dorothy Hairston Mitchell, Amanda Maris, and Doretta Walker also retained their positions. These judges serve four-year terms, while Superior Court justices serve eight-year terms.

State legislative races produced mixed results for Democrats. Rep. Vernetta Alston and Rep. Zack Hawkins won fourth and fifth terms, respectively, in uncontested races. However, Sen. Sophia Chitlik lost her Senate seat in District 22 to Republican LaKeshia Alston. Chitlik had won the Democratic primary in March with about 65% of the vote.

Chitlik faced scrutiny earlier in the year regarding lobbying for her husband's energy company. Her opponent, Alston, campaigned on supporting teachers' unions and tax relief. Alston drew criticism from some Republicans for only voting for the party in 2025.

County voters largely supported Democratic candidates in statewide races. Roy Cooper won the U.S. Senate seat, and Anita Earls was elected to the Supreme Court. Voters also backed Democratic candidates for the Court of Appeals. The 4th Congressional District was won by Valerie Foushee, who defeated Republican Mahesh Ganorkar and Libertarian Guy Meilleur with 79.4% of the vote.

Despite local support for Democratic statewide candidates, voters rejected three constitutional amendments. About three-quarters of Durham voters opposed measures that would require voter ID, cap income tax, and allow legislators to limit local property tax revenue. All three amendments passed statewide. Results remain unofficial until certified.