DURHAM, N.C. — Durham City Council chose their newest member Tuesday morning.
Chelsea Cook will fill the Ward 3 vacancy, created when now-Mayor Leonardo Williams vacated that seat.
City Council Members told the four finalists they were impressed with the work they have already done for the Bull City, and they hope they stay involved in bettering Durham.
They included Chelsea Cook, Shelia Huggins, Amanda Borer, and Chastan Swain.
“I appreciate the diversity in your backgrounds and just showing how beautiful this City is,” Mayor Williams told the assembled group.
“I thought that each person had skills that would compliment the skills of Council Members up here, and I think that’s important,” Council Member Nate Baker said.
In the City Council initial discussion, both Chelsea Cook and Shelia Huggins received three votes.
Williams, Mayor Pro Tem Mark-Anthony Middleton, and Council Member Nate Baker voted for Huggins. Council Members DeDreana Freeman, Javiera Caballero, and Carl Rist voted for Cook.
“Thinking about the issues that motivated my campaign and the community is deeply inspired by, and thinking about how they can best serve on this Council, I’ll be supporting Chelsea Cook,” Rist said.
After the tie, Council Member Nate Baker changed his vote to Cook, giving her the four she needed to win.
“At this time, I’m willing to compromise on someone who we can get to four on this morning, and right now, it sounds like that is Chelsea Cook,” Baker said.
Cook’s application says she has been an attorney with Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Durham Eviction Diversion Program for the past four years.
She lists her top three priorities as affordable housing, a living wage, and beautification.
At the end of the meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Mark-Anthony Middleton and Mayor Leonardo Williams also changed their votes to Cook, as a show of support.
“As an act of goodwill to our new colleague, I want to change my vote to Chelsea Cook as well,” Middleton said.
Cook will be sworn in at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, which starts at 7.
