Congressional District 4 is the race with a heated rematch contest between incumbent U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee and Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam. Both are Democrats, but a new third candidate has been added to the race — Durham Public Schools substitute teacher Mary Patterson.
The incumbent candidate: U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee
“One of the biggest priorities is defending democracy right now,” Foushee said.
But while she’s doing that, Foushee is also defending her seat in Congress. She said her family is her motivation.
“I have two grandchildren and one on the way, and I want them to be able to know the America that I’ve come to know,” Foushee said.
It’s an America, she says, that is facing a crisis of affordability.
“We know that the costs for housing, the cost for health care, the cost for education, groceries, you name it, are skyrocketing. And so those are issues that must be dealt with, because when we’re talking about future generations, young people are worried about whether or not they’re going to be able to afford housing,” Foushee said.
And because of that lack of affordability, she now fears for her grandchildren’s quality of life in the future.
“Right now my sons have been able to purchase a home, but I don’t know whether my grandchildren would be able to do so if we don’t change some things as it relates to affordability, if we don’t change some things that relate to the quality of life that we believe every American should have,” Foushee said.
Because of redistricting put in place for the 2024 election, District 4 no longer includes the more conservative areas. Granville, Person and Alamance counties moved to other districts. Instead, political experts say it’s become a bit more blue with parts of western Wake, parts of Chatham and all of Durham and Orange counties.
That means whether Foushee wins or not, a Democrat is likely to represent the fourth district. She’s concerned that mutes the voice of the voters.
“We’ve seen, particularly in North Carolina, how the ability of the people to choose who represents them has pretty much gone away. Representatives are choosing who gets to vote for them, and in particular, the way it works with Congress is that we’re losing representation from Black and brown people,” Foushee said.
Seeking her third term in office, Foushee said because of her experience serving in the minority, she knows how to get things done.
“If you’re in the minority, you have to find ways to connect with people who have the power simply because they have the numbers. They’re not always right. They’re almost never right, in my opinion. However, if they’re in charge, then you have to find points of intersection to get things done,” Foushee said.
The rematch opponent: Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam
Talking to early voters at the Durham Public Library, Allam is running to represent District 4 for the second time.
“Every single issue that we’ve been campaigning on is personal to me,” Allam said.
And because of her personal experiences, running to represent District 4 hits close to home.
“As an immigrant, proud daughter of parents from India and Pakistan. As a mother of two young children, someone who’s grown up in this district and first having on a public school in Apex, I bought my first home in Durham, was raised in, like, the Cary RTP area,” Allam said.
Like her opponents, she believes the biggest issue facing District 4 is affordability.
“The issues about affordability, of making sure that every human, every person in this district, in this country is able to live with dignity, is able to put food on their table, keep a roof over their head with just having to work one job,” Allam said.
Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, several state representatives and Durham City Council members have endorsed Allam. She says she’s focusing her campaign on communities who are ready for a change.
“We’ve been building this grassroots campaign of young people, communities of color, immigrants, all folks who are just sick and tired of the status quo and want to see their elected leadership standing up for working families,” Allam said.
The last time she ran for District 4 in 2022, she lost by a small percentage. She’s hoping this time around more voters want to see more progressive policy.
“This district is the most progressive district in North Carolina, if not the South. And so we have an opportunity to really show that progressive young people can win,” Allam said.
Even with the district redrawn moving the more conservative areas to different districts, Allam believes this election will come down to one thing.
“It’s all very personal to me. And it all comes down to, you know, what this election can really show for progressive values and for leadership across not just this district, but across the state, North Carolina,” Allam said.
The new face in the race: Mary Patterson
Mary Patterson is a Durham Public Schools substitute teacher who says she’s one of the common people of Durham who genuinely cares about her community. The N.C. Central alum and Durham native says she’s running for office because her diverse life experiences make her relatable to everyone.
“With me experiencing a lot of real-life situations has more or less groomed me to run for this position because I can almost relate with everyone from every walk of life,” Patterson said.
She believes the biggest issues facing District 4 are affordable housing and health care, equal pay for public school systems and retail workers and sustaining retirement. Patterson says although she’s not as popular as her opponents, she wants people to know she genuinely cares for her community.
“I want them to know that their voice is their vote, and their vote is their voice, and that their choice matters. I want them to know that they’re getting a genuine person that’s going to actually fight for their rights,” Patterson said.
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