People's Alliance PAC | 2025 Candidate Questionnaires

Chelsea Cook earned a bachelor's in Public Policy and Women’s Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a J.D. from Stanford Law School. She lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Chelsea is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Law at Duke Law School’s Civil Justice Clinic. She previously worked as a Staff Attorney in the Eviction Diversion Program at Legal Aid of North Carolina and as a Stanford Law Fellow at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice.

Chelsea Cook - Ballotpedia

Durham Council Selects Legal Aid Attorney Chelsea Cook to Fill ...

Meet the Durham City Council Members | Durham, NC

Chelsea Cook to be appointed as newest Durham City Council ...

Chelsea is currently a member of the Durham City Council, representing Ward 3. She was appointed in January 2024 to fill the vacancy left by former councilman Leonardo Williams.

Economy

Lists her top three priorities as affordable housing, a living wage, and beautification.

Prioritizes protecting tree canopy, waterways, and adding green space requirements in development rules.

- Lists her top three priorities as affordable housing, a living wage, and beautification.
- Prioritizes protecting tree canopy, waterways, and adding green space requirements in development rules.

Public Services

Supports creating day shelters and safe parking/tent options for unhoused residents, coupled with eviction diversion programs.

Favors 100% affordable housing developments instead of relying on limited proffers in market-rate projects.

- Supports creating day shelters and safe parking/tent options for unhoused residents, coupled with eviction diversion programs.
- Favors 100% affordable housing developments instead of relying on limited proffers in market-rate projects.

Housing & Urban Development

Supports expanding the HEART crisis response program into Durham Public Schools, but prefers county-level funding.

Advocates for addressing root causes of crime through youth programming, housing, and mental health resources.

- Supports expanding the HEART crisis response program into Durham Public Schools, but prefers county-level funding.
- Advocates for addressing root causes of crime through youth programming, housing, and mental health resources.

Public Safety

Backs fare-free buses as a top budget priority.

Supports infrastructure to make Durham a 15-minute walkable city, including sidewalks, bike lanes, and traffic calming.

- Backs fare-free buses as a top budget priority.
- Supports infrastructure to make Durham a 15-minute walkable city, including sidewalks, bike lanes, and traffic calming.

Transportation & Infrastructure

Advocates expanding after school youth employment programs and holistic support.

- Advocates expanding after school youth employment programs and holistic support.

Education

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Chelsea Cook

Buket Urgen

Diana earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and teaching from New York University and a master’s degree as a literacy specialist from Teachers College, Columbia University. She lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Who's Running: Durham Mayor and City Council

Diana Medoff - Ballotpedia

Diana currently works as a community liaison at Triangle Neuropsychology Services. She previously worked as a 3rd grade teacher at Duke School.

Diana Medoff's campaign for Durham City Council Member, Ward 3, is her first entry into politics.

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

Diana Medoff

Durant Long is from Durham, North Carolina. He attended Forest View Elementary, Central Park School for Children, and Durham School of the Arts. He has a bachelor's degree in Spanish from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and is currently enrolled at North Carolina Central University.

Durant has worked in the service industry since he was 16, both at corporate and home-grown locations.

Durant Long - Ballotpedia

Durant's campaign for Durham City Council Member, Ward 3 is his first entry into politics. 

Supports the rights of all workers to unionize.

Opposes the construction of a new convention center in Durham, believing it would be "a financial burden on our budget that will never pay for itself."

- Supports the rights of all workers to unionize.
- Opposes the construction of a new convention center in Durham, believing it would be "a financial burden on our budget that will never pay for itself."

Believes in "bold, long-term solutions" for economic security and social stability, and supports adjusting growth and development to ensure safety and equity for all Durham residents.

- Believes in "bold, long-term solutions" for economic security and social stability, and supports adjusting growth and development to ensure safety and equity for all Durham residents.

Believes the current state of real estate development in Durham is characterized by increasing sprawl that relies heavily on automobiles.

Supports incentivizing new developments to provide affordable housing for those making up to 80% of the median income, allocating funds to repair current Durham Housing Authority properties, and exploring public-private partnerships to transform vacant buildings into mixed-use offerings.

Believes Durham needs to address housing insecurity due to high real estate prices and a lack of affordable housing, with over 5,000 families facing a three-year wait for Durham Housing Authority assistance.

- Believes the current state of real estate development in Durham is characterized by increasing sprawl that relies heavily on automobiles.
- Supports incentivizing new developments to provide affordable housing for those making up to 80% of the median income, allocating funds to repair current Durham Housing Authority properties, and exploring public-private partnerships to transform vacant buildings into mixed-use offerings.
- Believes Durham needs to address housing insecurity due to high real estate prices and a lack of affordable housing, with over 5,000 families facing a three-year wait for Durham Housing Authority assistance.

Supports abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

- Supports abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Supports collaboration between the city and Durham Public Schools (DPS) to expand afterschool programs.

- Supports collaboration between the city and Durham Public Schools (DPS) to expand afterschool programs.

Durant Long

Terry McCann earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the American College of Education. He lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Terry has worked as a Mathematics Teacher in Durham Public Schools since 2006.

Terry McCann - Ballotpedia

Terry McCann's campaign for Durham City Council Member, Ward 3 is his first entry into politics. 

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

Supports allowing reputable commercial landlords to have a lower and set property tax rate for 5-7 years to control drastic rent increases.

Supports encouraging local builders to construct more duplexes and single-family dwellings with smaller square footage and cost.

Supports transforming the old Durham Police Department HQ and the old Northern High School into residential communities.

Supports revitalizing vacant commercial buildings in Durham and transforming them into walkable communities.

Believes in responsible development to ensure expansion does not outpace support systems.

- Supports allowing reputable commercial landlords to have a lower and set property tax rate for 5-7 years to control drastic rent increases.
- Supports encouraging local builders to construct more duplexes and single-family dwellings with smaller square footage and cost.
- Supports transforming the old Durham Police Department HQ and the old Northern High School into residential communities.
- Supports revitalizing vacant commercial buildings in Durham and transforming them into walkable communities.
- Believes in responsible development to ensure expansion does not outpace support systems.

Supports restoring school resource officers in all Durham public schools.

Supports installing metal detectors in all Durham public schools.

Believes in holding parents accountable for juvenile gun crimes committed with their weapons.

Supports using license plate readers to monitor distracted and aggressive drivers, track stolen vehicles, and locate wanted and missing persons.

Wants to increase police surveillance of "illegal gangs" that "terrorize neighborhoods."

Supports restoring ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system, to assist law enforcement.

- Supports restoring school resource officers in all Durham public schools.
- Supports installing metal detectors in all Durham public schools.
- Believes in holding parents accountable for juvenile gun crimes committed with their weapons.
- Supports using license plate readers to monitor distracted and aggressive drivers, track stolen vehicles, and locate wanted and missing persons.
- Wants to increase police surveillance of "illegal gangs" that "terrorize neighborhoods."
- Supports restoring ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system, to assist law enforcement.

Plans to end the "free" GoDurham bus service, which was initially funded by COVID funds and is now using city resources.

- Plans to end the "free" GoDurham bus service, which was initially funded by COVID funds and is now using city resources.

Supports reallocating surplus funds to provide partial tuition reimbursement for courses at Durham Technical Community College.

- Supports reallocating surplus funds to provide partial tuition reimbursement for courses at Durham Technical Community College.

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Terry McCann

- 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. 