People's Alliance PAC | 2025 Candidate Questionnaires

Elijah is originally from Durham, North Carolina. He co-founded the Durham Neighbors Free Lunch Initiative and the Durham Youth Environmental Justice Initiative. He lives in Durham.

Elijah most recently worked as an outreach coordinator at NC WARN. He previously worked as a client strategy associate at Rising Tide Interactive, a communications intern in the office of Congresswoman Kathy Manning, a grant consultant with Grant Source, and a communications intern for Durham County Commissioner Brenda Howerton.

Elijah King - Ballotpedia

Elijah's campaign for Durham City Council Member, Ward 1 is his first entry into politics.

Supports labor causes, such as the Durham Association of Educators.

- Supports labor causes, such as the Durham Association of Educators.

Economy

Supports participatory budgeting to increase community involvement in city spending decisions.

Supports expanding mental health resources through HEART and school partnerships.

- Supports participatory budgeting to increase community involvement in city spending decisions.
- Supports expanding mental health resources through HEART and school partnerships.

Public Services

Supports affordable housing expansion through community land trusts, down payment assistance, and infill development.

Advocates for city-funded housing grants to help renters cover rent shortfalls, relocation costs, deposits, and legal aid.

- Supports affordable housing expansion through community land trusts, down payment assistance, and infill development.
- Advocates for city-funded housing grants to help renters cover rent shortfalls, relocation costs, deposits, and legal aid.

Housing & Urban Development

Supports increased resources to fully staff and fairly pay existing police officers.

Supports youth mentorship and recreation as crime prevention strategies.

- Supports increased resources to fully staff and fairly pay existing police officers.
- Supports youth mentorship and recreation as crime prevention strategies.

Public Safety

Supports transitioning Durham’s bus fleet to solar power and improving parking access for downtown workers and businesses.

Advocates for reducing car-centric development and expanding pedestrian, bike, and transit infrastructure.

- Supports transitioning Durham’s bus fleet to solar power and improving parking access for downtown workers and businesses.
- Advocates for reducing car-centric development and expanding pedestrian, bike, and transit infrastructure.

Transportation & Infrastructure

Advocates for restorative practices in schools and is open to expanding the HEART program into Durham Public Schools.

Supports expanding after-school care by partnering city recreation services with Durham Public Schools facilities.

- Advocates for restorative practices in schools and is open to expanding the HEART program into Durham Public Schools.
- Supports expanding after-school care by partnering city recreation services with Durham Public Schools facilities.

Education

Twitter

Facebook

LinkedIn

Elijah King

Buket Urgen

Andrea Cazales is from Durham, North Carolina. She has a bachelor's degree in nursing, a master's degree in nursing, and a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Andrea is a nurse and researcher at Duke University Health System.

Andrea Cazales - Ballotpedia

Andrea Cazales's campaign for Durham City Council Member, Ward 1 is her first entry into politics. 

Supports immigrant communities and undocumented working class members.

- Supports immigrant communities and undocumented working class members.

As of July 31, 2025, Andrea Cazales’s website did not contain information on this issue.

- Opposes the Howards Property Annexation.

Opposes the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

- Opposes the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

Instagram

Andrea Cazales

Dedreana holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and library systems from Rutgers University and a master’s degree in public administration from North Carolina Central University. She lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Dedreana most recently worked as director of partnership development at CornerSquare Community Capital. She previously worked as a consultant for nonprofit and government organizations, including leadership roles with Clean Energy Durham, PEACH, and ePRn.

DeDreana Freeman - Ballotpedia

DeDreana Freeman | Durham, NC

DeDreana is currently a member of the Durham City Council, representing Ward 1. She was first elected in 2017 and is currently serving her second term.

Supports creating affordable commercial spaces and redeveloping historically underserved communities of color without displacing long-time residents.

Supports funded business districts for women and BIPOC business owners.

Supports fair compensation for city employees and advocates for increased funding for infrastructure projects.

- Supports creating affordable commercial spaces and redeveloping historically underserved communities of color without displacing long-time residents.
- Supports funded business districts for women and BIPOC business owners.
- Supports fair compensation for city employees and advocates for increased funding for infrastructure projects.

Supports tools to reduce environmental risk and build health-promoting neighborhoods to engage residents and stakeholders in accessing health care and healthy food.

Supports using an equity lens to address disparities in health determinants based on location and race.

Supports strengthening community voice and power by expanding participatory budgeting, holding neighborhood assemblies, improving public meeting accessibility, and increasing transparency in city decisions.

Supports expansion of mental health resources and community-based healthcare.

- Supports tools to reduce environmental risk and build health-promoting neighborhoods to engage residents and stakeholders in accessing health care and healthy food.
- Supports using an equity lens to address disparities in health determinants based on location and race.
- Supports strengthening community voice and power by expanding participatory budgeting, holding neighborhood assemblies, improving public meeting accessibility, and increasing transparency in city decisions.
- Supports expansion of mental health resources and community-based healthcare.

Supports growth and diverse housing options to build land banks that preserve affordability.

Supports establishing a tenant's bill of rights and creating homeownership opportunities for long-time and low-income residents.

- Supports growth and diverse housing options to build land banks that preserve affordability.
- Supports establishing a tenant's bill of rights and creating homeownership opportunities for long-time and low-income residents.

Supports promoting the use of gun locks and encouraging responsible gun ownership.

Supports prevention strategies and alternatives to policing to improve community safety.

- Supports promoting the use of gun locks and encouraging responsible gun ownership.
- Supports prevention strategies and alternatives to policing to improve community safety.

Supports investing in Bus Rapid Transit to enhance public transit by increasing bus frequency and reliability.

Supports renewable energy investment and resilient infrastructure to address climate change.

- Supports investing in Bus Rapid Transit to enhance public transit by increasing bus frequency and reliability.
- Supports renewable energy investment and resilient infrastructure to address climate change.

Supports partnerships between higher education, public schools, and community organizations to build employment pathways and increase youth apprenticeship opportunities.

- Supports partnerships between higher education, public schools, and community organizations to build employment pathways and increase youth apprenticeship opportunities.

Dedreana Freeman

Matt Kopac is from Durham, North Carolina. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics, international relations, and political science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a master’s degree in business administration with a focus on strategy, sustainability, and community economic development from Yale University. He lives in Durham with his wife Sarah and their children.

Matt currently works as a senior sustainability advisor at Pure Strategies, Inc. He previously held sustainability leadership roles at Beautycounter and Burt’s Bees, directed corporate responsibility at iContact, consulted with VisionSpring, worked as a policy associate at Rapoza Associates, and served in the Peace Corps.

Matt Kopac - Ballotpedia

After Progressive Stands, Freeman Faces Multiple Challengers for ...

Matt Kopac's campaign for Durham City Council Member, Ward 1, is his first entry into politics. He previously ran for Durham County Commissioner in 2020 but did not win.

Wants to diversify the tax base to reduce tax pressure on low-income and fixed-income homeowners.

- Wants to diversify the tax base to reduce tax pressure on low-income and fixed-income homeowners.

Supports maintaining free bus service and expanding local and regional transit.

Supports protecting and promoting Durham's arts and cultural heritage to boost local economic development.

- Supports maintaining free bus service and expanding local and regional transit.
- Supports protecting and promoting Durham's arts and cultural heritage to boost local economic development.

Supports fighting displacement through programs that provide home repairs, low-income homeowner support, energy efficiency, eviction diversion, and legal aid.

Supports identifying public land and brokering public-private partnerships to build more long-term affordable units.

Supports producing more affordable units and "missing middle housing" through local revolving construction loan programs, streamlined permitting for pre-approved affordable designs, and a revised Unified Development Ordinance.

Supports fostering locally responsive housing development by small-scale local developers.

Supports public-led commercial development targeted to support local businesses and local income neighborhoods.

Supports promoting economic mobility and justice to ensure Durham residents can afford diverse housing options, and plans to continue workforce development and guaranteed income programs to achieve this goal.

- Supports fighting displacement through programs that provide home repairs, low-income homeowner support, energy efficiency, eviction diversion, and legal aid.
- Supports identifying public land and brokering public-private partnerships to build more long-term affordable units.
- Supports producing more affordable units and "missing middle housing" through local revolving construction loan programs, streamlined permitting for pre-approved affordable designs, and a revised Unified Development Ordinance.
- Supports fostering locally responsive housing development by small-scale local developers.
- Supports public-led commercial development targeted to support local businesses and local income neighborhoods.
- Supports promoting economic mobility and justice to ensure Durham residents can afford diverse housing options, and plans to continue workforce development and guaranteed income programs to achieve this goal.

Believes in addressing root causes of violence, such as economic and housing insecurity and racial injustice.

Supports expanding the HEART program, which pairs mental health professionals with police officers, to address more non-violent situations.

Supports implementing Vision Zero to protect pedestrians and cyclists from traffic fatalities and injuries, including calming more streets and adding more sidewalks and protected bike lanes.

- Believes in addressing root causes of violence, such as economic and housing insecurity and racial injustice.
- Supports expanding the HEART program, which pairs mental health professionals with police officers, to address more non-violent situations.
- Supports implementing Vision Zero to protect pedestrians and cyclists from traffic fatalities and injuries, including calming more streets and adding more sidewalks and protected bike lanes.

As of July 31, 2025, Matt Kopac’s website did not contain information on this issue.

As a co-chair of the Durham Public School Foundation, advocated for digital equity in schools.

- As a co-chair of the Durham Public School Foundation, advocated for digital equity in schools.

Matt Kopac

Samaria McKenzie has lived in Durham for over ten years. She is inspired to give back to this place that has given so much to her.

Linkedin

Samaria is the founder and marketing director at RAD Real Ad Design, a digital media firm.

Samaria McKenzie - Ballotpedia

Samaria McKenzie’s campaign for Durham City Council Member, Ward 1, is her first entry into politics. 

Supports minimizing corporate government contracts to "give buying power back to the people."

Supports protecting and strengthening tenant rights.

- Supports minimizing corporate government contracts to "give buying power back to the people."
- Supports protecting and strengthening tenant rights.

As of July 31, 2025, Samaria McKenzie’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Opposes "unaffordable condos, housing, and corporate developments that displace too many Durham residents and prevent young adults from gaining equity through homeownership."

Plans to address issues with "slumlords who profit off low-income families while neglecting necessary repairs and living conditions" and compel absentee investment property owners to restore abandoned houses.

- Opposes "unaffordable condos, housing, and corporate developments that displace too many Durham residents and prevent young adults from gaining equity through homeownership."
- Plans to address issues with "slumlords who profit off low-income families while neglecting necessary repairs and living conditions" and compel absentee investment property owners to restore abandoned houses.

Supports investing in low-income neighborhoods by repairing sidewalks, roads, and public parks.

- Supports investing in low-income neighborhoods by repairing sidewalks, roads, and public parks.

Samaria McKenzie

State v. Sheryl Smith | Southern Coalition for Social Justice

Sheryl Smith is a foster mother to her two granddaughters and has an adopted daughter.

Sheryl Smith - Ballotpedia

Sheryl's campaign for Durham City Council Member, Ward 1 is her first entry into politics. 

Believes the council's voting record on development has been unpopular.

- Believes the council's voting record on development has been unpopular.

As of July 31, 2025, Sheryl Smith did not have a website or any information online.

Supports more investment to curb gun violence.

- Supports more investment to curb gun violence.

Believes more resources should be made available for teens in Durham, with an emphasis on community centers and trade schools.

- Believes more resources should be made available for teens in Durham, with an emphasis on community centers and trade schools.

Sheryl Smith

- City council members work together to set and implement city policy. 
- The city council is tasked with ensuring the health, comfort, and safety of residents of the city.
- City council members work with the mayor to govern city departments, such as the police department, fire department, transportation department, and parks and recreation department. 
- City council members represent either the whole city or residents of a specific district. 