Travis Phelps of Durham, 22, has won the Friends of Durham endorsement in the Democratic primary for state House District 50. One of the county's three major political-action committees, the Friends chose Phelps, an employee at Reckless Paints & Accessories, over Orange County Commissioner Valerie Foushee.

In the Republican primary, the Friends endorsed Efland banker W. Lewis Hannah over three rivals: Jason Chambers of Bahama, Rod Chaney of Hillsborough and Thomas Samuel Wright of Mebane.

House District 50, reconfigured in the 2011 redistricting, covers most of Orange County and northern and eastern regions of Durham County.

County Commissioner candidate Anita Daniels (right) said today that she has been endorsed by former Durham County Sheriff Worth Hill and incumbent Register of Deeds Willie Covington.

"I am honored to receive the support of two of Durham's most effective leaders who were elected by the citizens of Durham to serve multiple terms," Daniels said in a prepared statement.

Daniels has also been endorsed by the Friends of Durham, one of the county's three major political-action groups.

A social worker, Daniels applied to serve out the term of retired Commissioner Becky Heron in 2011. The four remaining commissioners instead chose Pam Karriker to take Heron's seat. Karriker is not running for election this year.
 

Durham's big three political-action organizations have made their endorsements of local candidates in the upcoming primary, with two state Senate candidates the only consensus picks.

District 20 incumbent Democrat Floyd McKissick is favored by the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, the Durham People's Alliance and the Friends of Durham over challenger Ralph McKinney. No Republican is running, so the primary will decide who holds the seat for the next two years.

All three also favor City Councilman Mike Woodard over attorney Kerry Sutton for the new Senate District 22. The winner faces Republican Milton Holmes in November.

The Friends of Durham, a political-action committee, issued a statement today supporting a proposed mixed-use development on N.C. 751.

A rezoning request for the project, called "751 South," is the subject of a public hearing Monday at the county commissioners' regular meeting, with the commissioners' vote expected to follow.

As presented, the project would consist of up to 1,300 residences, 600,000 square feet of office and commercial space, and sites for a school and fire station on a 167-acre site near the Chatham County line in southwest Durham County.