Fani Willis, the lead prosecutor in the Georgia election meddling case involving Donald Trump, has won the Democratic primary for her second term. Judge Scott McAfee, overseeing the same case, also secured his first full term. Both have faced scrutiny for their roles in the high-profile case.
Judge McAfee, initially appointed by Governor Brian Kemp to fill a vacant seat, won a nonpartisan judicial race on Tuesday, securing direct election by Atlanta-area voters.
In the upcoming general election on November 5th, Fani Willis will compete against Courtney Kramer, a Republican lawyer accused of involvement in overturning Georgia’s 2020 election results while interning at the Trump White House.
Kramer faces challenges in winning the predominantly Democratic Fulton County, which encompasses Atlanta.
Courtney Kramer’s campaign is likely to target criticisms towards Fani Willis’s handling of the Trump case, particularly focusing on allegations of misconduct related to her romantic involvement with former co-prosecutor Nathan Wade.
Despite controversy surrounding the relationship and Wade’s subsequent resignation from the case, Willis remained involved, with Judge McAfee dismissing requests from Trump’s lawyers to remove her.
Willis has denied any impropriety, and her election victory suggests ongoing support despite the controversy.
The Georgia Court of Appeals is currently considering overturning the judge’s ruling to remove Fani Willis from the case, potentially delaying legal proceedings and making it improbable for the trial to commence before the November presidential election.
Additionally, Republicans in both Georgia and Washington have initiated investigations into Willis and her office, adding further complexity to the situation.
“I need people around the country to support me big and small, to think that we are going to be a country that still believes in the rule of law,” she told The Rachel Maddow Show on Monday.
“We are not going to allow people to be attacked while they do their job.”
