Mayor Nick Tennyson threw his hat into the ring Thursday, joining community activist Steven Hopkins in the race for mayor of Durham.
Tennyson, Trinity '72, announced his decision to seek re-election at a press conference outside the Golden Belt Manufacturing Co. building on East Main and Fayetteville streets. Tennyson kicked off his two previous campaigns there in 1997 and 1999.
The mayor's announcement came seven months before the November election; Tennyson explained that he had made a decision to run and did not see a reason to keep that decision from the public.
"My timing has to do with the fact that I can't stand telling people I haven't decided when I've decided," the mayor said. "I think it's better for the community to decide early, just so they know what's happening."
Speaking from prepared remarks and standing next to his wife Jennifer, Tennyson said his campaign platform would focus on the same four issues he ran on in 1999: crime prevention, urban revitalization, government competence and transportation.
On the issue of crime, Tennyson said his four years as mayor have brought improvement, but that further improvements were still necessary: "Crime has decreased in Durham. Not enough. Not everywhere. Not every day. [But] we are in much better shape today than on the day I took office."
Tennyson is the second candidate to make his decision public. Hopkins, a community organizer for the Durham Affordable Housing Coalition, announced last month that he would run.
Hopkins said he was running because he was "sick" of what he saw in city government. "We've got a lot of work," he said. "Nobody else in this city that I know of... has the backbone to do it."
Hopkins cited a long list of problems he said the current government, including Tennyson, had failed to address sufficiently: improving street conditions; providing better housing and getting rid of slums; and revamping city hiring practices to include more black department heads and more Durham residents.
"Look at the condition of the black community now in Durham. Now that bothers me," Hopkins said. "Now that really bothers me."
Hopkins has never held political office, but said that lack of experience would not be a problem.
"I'm an organizer," he said. "What kind of political experience do you need?"
City Council member Floyd McKissick, who ran against Tennyson in 1999, said he would not run for mayor again unless circumstances change and Tennyson became more vulnerable.
"As it now stands, I'm presently planning to run for re-election to council," McKissick said. "Unless [Tennyson] were to make a serious blunder of some type or other."
Michael Peterson, Trinity '65 and a Chronicle columnist who also ran in 1999, declined to comment on whether he would seek election again. The other two candidates in 1999, Ralph McKinney and City Council member Brenda Burnette, have not announced any plans to run again.
Council member Pamela Blyth, who could not be reached for comment this week, said three weeks ago that she might run for mayor, but had not yet made a decision.
"I'm considering it; I've been asked," Blyth said. "It really depends on a lot of factors, some personal, some political." She declined to elaborate on what those factors were.
Hopkins said Blyth, and any others considering candidacy, should not run.
"My advice to her: Stay out of it. She can't stand the mustard," Hopkins said. "It needs to just be me and Nick."
Mayor Pro Tem Howard Clement, who attended Tennyson's press conference, said he was glad the mayor was running again.
"He's going to be hard to beat," said Clement, a longtime Durham politician who has seen six mayors. "He's among the great mayors."
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