Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams, singer James Taylor both bumped from DNC lineup

Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams was scheduled to speak on stage at the Democratic National Convention this week, but — like singer James Taylor — he got bumped because of time constraints.

Williams is part of North Carolina’s delegation in Chicago for the convention, where Vice President Kamala Harris will accept the presidential nomination Thursday night.

After Monday night’s speeches ran past midnight Eastern time, organizers said they were revising the rest of the week’s programming.

Gov. Roy Cooper remains on the schedule Thursday evening, shortly before Harris gives her acceptance speech, a source told The News & Observer.

North Carolina is considered a battleground state, though it hasn’t voted into office a Democratic presidential candidate since Barack Obama in 2008. Republican victories have been narrow, however, and recent polls indicate the state is a toss-up in 2024.

It’s not the Durham mayor’s first time on the national political stage. He and his wife, who own the restaurant Zweli’s, were invited guests of President Joe Biden at a presidential debate in 2020.

It is his first time as a convention delegate, though.

Williams told The N&O he recorded a video message inside the United Center on Wednesday morning that will be released.

James Taylor also bumped from DNC lineup

Williams isn’t the only person with North Carolina ties bumped from the lineup.

Singer-songwriter James Taylor, who grew up in Chapel Hill, didn’t perform on the first night as announced because of time constraints.

Taylor wrote on social media that he was going to perform “You’ve Got a Friend” — his first No. 1 hit — with cello accompaniment and several other vocalists.

“Anyway, sorry to disappoint. But a great and inspirational, quintessentially American moment. We were honored to be there,” Taylor said in the post.