Councilwoman suspends campaign for Durham mayor, leaving former judge as lone active candidate

O'Neal was in the lead to become Durham's next mayor after easily topping a seven-person field in last Tuesday's primary. She finished with 68 percent of the vote to Caballero's 25 percent, according to unofficial results. None of the other candidates had even 3 percent.

Before Caballero's announcement, the two women were set to face each other on Nov. 2 for the chance to be Durham's second female mayor. Sylvia Kerckhoff held the job from 1993 to 1997.

Caballero's name will still appear on the November ballot for mayor, although she's no longer campaigning for the job.

"I believe that my best role right now is to continue to fight for my values and for the people of Durham in my role on the City Council," Caballero said in a statement. "While I knew from the start that campaigning to be the first Latina mayor in the American Southeast (outside of Florida) would be the biggest uphill battle of my career, I also knew that I owed it to my community to stand up, to take one more step in making sure that our immigrant community in Durham feels seen, is heard, and is represented in our city government."

Schewel endorsed Caballero, who has served on the City Council for three years and worked as an educator and education consultant. Meanwhile, Schewel's predecessor, longtime Mayor Bill Bell, endorsed O'Neal, who spent 24 years on the bench and later headed Durham's racial equity task force.

Caballero said she and O'Neal share many values, and she looks forward to working with O'Neal as mayor.

"I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to build a city where we all can thrive," Caballero said in her statement.

O'Neal likewise said she looks forward to working with Caballero and other city leaders.

"Uniting Durham is my No. 1 priority," she said in a statement. "It is time we ensure that we have a 'Durham for Everyone' – a Durham with safe neighborhoods, stable housing and great jobs."

Larry Smith, a retired deputy chief with the Durham Police Department, said he's optimistic about O'Neal's prospects as mayor.

"She was a judge in Durham. So, you’ve got a mayor now who is very familiar with the criminal justice system in Durham – the challenges – and you’re going to have a police chief who is very familiar with the challenges in Durham," Smith said.

"Maybe we can do something about morale in the police department, which ultimately affects crime," Smith said.