Durham grew up in eastern Washington and graduated from the University of Washington and Stanford Law School. According to Durham’s Facebook pageHe moved to Tucson in 2004 and was a former attorney specializing in business transactions and securities.

Durham was elected District 3 Representative in 2017 and served on the Council until 2017. he resigned in 2021The Arizona Daily Star previously reported that Durham suffered multiple broken ribs and took several months off before resigning after announcing her husband was undergoing treatment for terminal cancer. I was taking

Durham’s seat was later filled by Karin Urich, who had previously held the seat of Ward 3. In 2021, Kevin Dahl was elected to the seat.

“When Paul was in office and I was his constituency, I was impressed by his commitment to the environment and how responsive he was to the concerns of his neighbors,” Dahl said. said. “He used to ride his bike a lot, but when he had to drive, he was in one of the first all-electric vehicles I saw. For example, he created a grant to acquire the first electric bus in Tucson, and Sun Tran now owns the largest electric bus in the Southwest. I miss you.”

Prior to Durham’s election, he served as Chief of Staff to former City Councilman Nina Trasoff. He also volunteered with several local groups in Tucson, including the Pima County Metropolitan Energy Commission, The Star previously reported.

During his tenure, Durham declared a climate emergency in Tucson and worked with Mayor Regina Romero to lead the charge to initiate the development of a 10-year climate action plan to rally community support.

“It pains me to remember my colleague Paul Durham,” Romero said. “He was a great partner to me in accelerating our climate action and resilience efforts. His public service and dedication to the members of his community will always be remembered.”

In the 2021 Opinion ArticleDurham, while representing the 3rd Ward, advocated for reducing energy performance, transitioning public transportation away from fossil fuels, and ensuring that households remain free from eviction during the pandemic.

In addition to his work on City Council, Durham was also on the board of El Grupo, a youth cycling organization that provides bike-centric experiences to young people.

Philip Waterlinks, Durham’s husband and founder of Tucson Community Supported Agriculture, Died last year after battling cancer.