Durham Mayor Steve Schewel won't seek a third term

Mayor Steve Schewel announced Thursday that he will not seek a third term.

"I have struggled mightily with this decision because it is such a great honor to serve as mayor of this amazing city and its people, and I have enjoyed it immensely," Schewel said in a statement.

"The reasons that I am stepping away are simple: First, I have a new grandbaby on the way. She will be living only a five-minute walk from me, and I want to be there to help her parents and to enjoy this new little person in my life completely," he said. "Also, I’ve been in local office for 14 of the last 17 years – on the school board, the City Council or as mayor – and, frankly, that’s enough."

Schewel, 70, who is also a Duke University professor, has been mayor since 2017. He served on Durham City Council for six years before that, starting in 2011.

Leading Durham through the pandemic has been difficult, he said, noting he often was in the forefront on things like mandating masks and closing businesses.

"I’m sure some of the decisions I made were the wrong ones, but I will tell you that I did my best every single day to make the wisest decisions that I could," he said.

In his final months in office, he said, he plans to work hard to keep trying to address the challenges of gun violence, affordable housing and transit that Durham faces.

Candidates for mayor and other municipal offices can officially file to run beginning July 26. The primary election in Oct. 5, and election day is Nov. 2.

In addition to Durham, mayors of Chapel Hill, Morrisville and Raleigh are also up for election in 2021.