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Three men running for Durham DA
Updated: 10/24/2006 5:02 PM
By: Kenneth Moton (News 14 Carolina TV)

DURHAM -- All eyes are on a Durham County race that's never seen the type of coverage
it's getting now. That's because the race for district attorney has seen so many twists and turns,
voters are most likely wondering what's next?

There are three candidates for Durham district attorney. One is under a hailstorm of both praise
and criticism for his handling of a rape case, the other says he doesn't want the job and the third’s
name won't even appear on the ballot.

“I have never run for any office other than district attorney,” said Durham District Attorney
Mike Nifong. “I have had only client, only one interest, that client is Durham."

It's that night in March that has turned a usually low-key race into a high-profile media frenzy.
The alleged rape victim is an exotic dancer and her alleged attackers are three Duke University
lacrosse players.

A community is split and the DA is promising prosecution.

After winning the Democratic primary, it seemed District Attorney Nifong was a shoe-in until
those unhappy with his handling of the Duke lacrosse rape case got a challenger.

County Commissioner Lewis Cheek authorized a petition drive this summer to get his name
printed on November's ballot. He got his 1,000 signatures, but his supporters did not get what
they wanted.

One candidate is under a hailstorm of both praise and criticism for his handling of a rape case,
the other says he doesn't want the job and the third’s name won't even appear on the ballot.

“I would not leave, will not leave my law firm to be DA and put it in potential jeopardy,” Cheek said.

That is Cheek's main reason for not campaigning for district attorney. But recently the commissioner
spoke at a Republican event on Duke's campus saying Durham voters need to do what they think is right.

The third man running is attorney and Republican chair Steve Monks. He may have the least support.
He started a write-in campaign after he was unsuccessful at gathering enough signatures to get his
name on the ballot.

Monks says he's been going strong ever since. “We in Durham need a choice in November and that's
what I want to give Durham residents.”

Nifong turned down an interview request from News 14 Carolina because he says voters already have
a wealth of information available to them. In an e-mail, he wrote, “The citizens of Durham know more
about me than they have ever known about any district attorney, or candidate for district attorney, in
history. Moreover, my opposition in the general election consists of a blank line on the ballot
and a ‘player to be named later.’”

That blank line is Monks, and the player to be named later, Cheek, says he'll let the governor pick his
replacement if he's voted in.

Either way, Durham voters have a choice come November 7th about who they pick and the nation will be watching.

The deadline to register is up in Durham. The Board of Elections director says a lot of the new registrations are
coming from both Duke University and North Carolina Central University's campuses.

http://rdu.news14.com/content/headlines/?ArID=93114&SecID=2