Elaine O'Neal (politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elaine M. O'Neal
Mayor of Durham, North Carolina
In office December 6, 2021 – December 4, 2023
Preceded by	Steve Schewel
Succeeded by	Leonardo Williams
Judge of the North Carolina Superior Court for Durham County
In office 2011–2018
Judge of the North Carolina District Court for Durham County
In office 1994–2011
Dean of the North Carolina Central University School of Law
Interim
In office July 16, 2018 – July 1, 2020
Preceded by	Phyliss Craig-Taylor
Succeeded by	Browne C. Lewis
Personal details
Born	1962 (age 62–63) Durham, North Carolina, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	North Carolina Central University (BS, JD)

Elaine M. O'Neal (born in 1962) is an American lawyer, educator, judge, and politician. She served as the mayor of Durham, North Carolina from 2021 to 2023. O'Neal made history as Durham's first African-American female mayor. Before becoming mayor, she was the first woman to be a chief district court judge and a Superior Court judge in Durham County. She also worked as an interim dean at the North Carolina Central University School of Law from 2018 to 2020.

Early Life and Education

Elaine O'Neal was born in Durham in 1962. She grew up in the West End area. She spent a lot of her childhood at the Pauli Murray Family Home. Elaine is the youngest of five children. Her parents were very involved in their community. Her mother, Nakoda, worked in local elections and led the school's parent-teacher group. Her father, Rueben, was a custodian and the treasurer of their church. As a child, Elaine played the tambourine at her church.

She went to schools in Durham Public Schools. In 1980, she graduated from Hillside High School. There, she was a co-captain of the color guard. O'Neal then attended North Carolina Central University. She joined the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. In 1984, she graduated with honors, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics. Later, she earned her law degree from the North Carolina Central University School of Law.

Legal and Judicial Career

Elaine O'Neal served as a judge for the North Carolina District Court from 1994 to 2011. She was the first woman in Durham County to become a Chief District Court judge. As a judge, she supported same-sex adoption and LGBT rights. From 2011 to 2018, she was a judge for the North Carolina Superior Court. She was the first woman to hold this position in Durham County.

In 2015, O'Neal was chosen to lead a task force for Durham Public Schools. This group worked to help students stay in school and avoid legal trouble. In June 2018, O'Neal retired as a judge. She was then chosen to be the interim dean of the North Carolina Central University School of Law. That same year, Mayor Steve Schewel asked O'Neal to lead the Racial Equity Task Force for Durham.

O'Neal is a member of the Durham County Bar Association. She is also part of the George H. White Bar Association.

Mayoral Career

Becoming Mayor

Elaine O'Neal announced she was running for mayor on July 26, 2021. In her announcement, she talked about her strong connections to Durham. She also spoke about her many years of public service. She expressed sadness about the young lives lost to violence in Durham. O'Neal promised to make her home city better. She ended her speech by hoping for "a Durham for everyone. United and not divided."

Time as Mayor

O'Neal was elected as Durham's first African-American woman Mayor in 2021. She took over from Steve Schewel. She won the primary election on October 5, 2021, with a large majority of the votes. She received 25,707 votes, which was about 84.69% of all votes. City councilwoman Javiera Caballero stopped her campaign on October 11, 2021. This meant O'Neal won the election. After being elected, O'Neal said her main goal would be to reduce gun violence.

In June 2023, Durham's city attorney sent a letter to the Wikimedia Foundation. This was at the request of O'Neal and two councilwomen. They asked for the identities of three Wikipedia editors. They also asked for specific changes to be made to their articles. O'Neal wanted to know the identity of an editor who had uploaded an image of her signature. The request for the editor's identity was not approved. However, her signature was removed from her article.

Programs and Policies

On April 18, 2022, Mayor O'Neal gave her first "State of the City" address. This was three months after she became mayor. She said her three biggest concerns for Durham were:

• reducing crime
• helping small businesses grow
• improving transportation

Gun violence was a major problem in Durham. O'Neal said, "Our city is in crisis, and gun violence has taken the lives of far too many of our relatives and our young Black men." She also planned to make things fairer in certain areas. These areas had suffered because of old city development plans. O'Neal said the city was putting money back into these areas. This was to help them become more successful. The city also offered low-cost loans to local businesses.

To fight crime, she worked with city leaders to create a program for young people. This program offered mentoring, therapy, and after-school activities. One goal was to help people with past mistakes clear their records. This was done through a program called Hayti Reborn. The idea was to involve those most affected by violence in finding solutions. O'Neal faced some questions for talking with former gang members. She explained that she wanted their ideas on how to reduce gun violence. She wanted them to be part of the solution.

O'Neal also announced the city's help for small businesses. This included support for black-owned companies. She said any small business could apply for the Durham Small Business Opportunity Loan Fund. This was true even if they did not need financial help. Since summer 2020, the program has given $800,000 in loans. These loans went to 38 small business owners. The money came from city, county, and Duke University funds.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) gave a $19.8 million check to O'Neal and Transportation Director Sean Egan. This money was for a 1.8-mile Rail Trail. It was also for improvements and upgrades to the main Durham Station.

The City of Durham also started a new Down Payment Assistance program. This program helps people with lower incomes buy homes. Rising prices in the city made it hard for them. Qualified applicants can get up to $20,000 for down payments and closing costs.

Personal Life

Elaine O'Neal is the fifth and youngest child of Reuben and Nekoda O'Neal. She is a mother to Koren O. Lee, Gregory J. Lee Sr., Jeanna Joint, and Macklin Bushfan. O'Neal is a practicing Baptist. She attends First Calvary Baptist Church in Durham. She is also a board member of Made in Durham, a non-profit organization.