Incumbent City Council members Howard Clement and Mike Woodard, and challenger Matt Drew, made themselves official candidates in the first hour of filing for Durham city election this morning.
Drew, chairman of the Durham County Libertarian Party but a first-time candidate for office in Durham, is running against Clement for the Ward 2 seat representing southern Durham. Clement, longest-serving council member in Durham history, has held a council seat since 1983.
Woodard has held the Ward 3 seat, representing western and part of northern Durham, since 2005.
The seat for Ward 1, central and most of northern Durham, and the mayor's chair, are also up for election this fall. Incumbents Cora Cole-McFadden and Bill Bell, respectively, have said they plan to stand for re-election.
Ward council members must reside in the areas they represent, but are voted on at-large.
If more than two candidates file for any one seat, there will be a primary election Oct. 6. The top two vote-getters then face each other in the general election Nov. 3.
Filing for the election remains open until noon July 17.
