In the Board of Education primary races, Durham For All members have voted to endorse Natalie Bent Kitaif (D1), Nadeen Bir (D2), Gabby Rivero (D3), and Xavier Cason (D4).

In the 2026 Primary Elections, you can vote early from February 12th  to February 28th. Click here for schedule and locations.

Election day is March 3rd. Click here to look up your polling location! 

Read on to learn about why our members have endorsed these candidates:

Natalie Bent Kitaif for Board of Education (District 1)
Natalie Bent Kitaif is a DPS graduate, parent and long time Durham resident. She brings the perspective and lived experience we need to rebuild trust in DPS. She doesn’t just talk about change; she has already done the work as a parent organizer demanding transparent budgets and safe, supportive schools. With her professional background in public health, Kitaif brings a vital ‘systems-level’ approach to governance that ensures decisions are grounded in data. Her commitment to co-governing with families and educators set the stage for the partnerships we need to stabilize our schools and protect public education in Durham.

Nadeen Bir (District 2)
Nadeen Bir brings the skills that Durham needs right now. As a co-executive director who has managed finances and Human Resources for multiple organizations, Nadeen knows how to build transparent budgets and hold leadership accountable. She also has a spouse teaching in DPS and a background in labor organizing; she understands the daily struggles of our educators and classified staff. She believes that a school board’s primary role is to supervise the superintendent and ensure our tax dollars actually reach the classroom. Bir combines her fiscal insight with a strong commitment to equity, ensuring that our system works for every student. She is not afraid to challenge the status quo to defend our public schools, demonstrating the courage we need in DPS.

Gabby Rivero (District 3)
Gabby Rivero is a proven leader who believes parents and DPS educators must have real power in shaping our schools. As a Black parent and foster parent in DPS, leader at Southwest Elementary School and on the Greater Durham Black Chamber of Commerce, Rivero brings lived experience and governing skills to this role. Rivero’s priorities are to maximize budget stability and transparency, support student mental health and safety, and improve staff pay and working conditions. She has shown up for immigrant families, including co-leading her school’s response during recent ICE raids. Rivero is committed to defending the Meet & Confer process and fighting for policies developed with, not for, the people most impacted. Rivero is the kind of leader Durham County needs: accountable, values-driven, and ready to govern alongside organized parents and workers.

Xavier Cason (District 4)
Xavier Cason is a former DPS educator and Board of Education member who has spent decades serving DPS. His prior governance experience and collaborative leadership style are what is needed in this moment when organized caregivers and workers are building power to save our public schools. As a former educator, Mr. Cason knows educators’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions, and that clarity is reflected in his priorities: increasing student supporting staffing, raising wages, and improving working conditions. In his various leadership positions, he has demonstrated a respect for and willingness to work productively with organized groups of community members and workers taking action to improve our schools.