Georgia Fulton County Prosecutor Fani Willis wins re-election

Photo: AP

Fulton County District Attorney Fani WillisTHE Georgia prosecutor who filed charges against former president Donald Trump for his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, won his re-election bid.

Willis, a Democrat, defeated Republican challenger Courtney Kramer, who interned in the White House counsel’s office during the Trump presidency and is active in GOP organizations. Fulton County, home to 11% of the state’s electorate and includes most of the city of Atlanta, is a Democratic stronghold.

Willis took office in January 2021 after defeating her predecessor – and former boss – longtime prosecutor Paul Howard in a bitter 2020 Democratic primary fight. She had no Republican opponents in the general election in November of the same year.

She made headlines just a month into her term when she announced in February 2021 that she was investigating whether Trump and others broke any laws while trying to overturn his narrow defeat in the state against Democrat Joe Biden. Two and a half years later, after an investigation that included calling dozens of witnesses before a special grand jury, she obtained a sweeping racketeering indictment against Trump and 18 others in August 2023.

Four people pleaded guilty after reaching deals with prosecutors. Trump and the others who remain have all pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

That case is largely on hold while Trump and other defendants appeal a judge’s decision allowing Willis to continue the case. They argue that Willis’ romantic relationship with a special prosecutor she hired to lead the prosecution created a conflict of interest. The Georgia Court of Appeals plans to hear arguments on December 5.

The election interference lawsuits made Willis the target of Republican attacks and investigations. Trump has repeatedly criticized her in public appearances and on social media. And state and federal lawmakers have opened investigations into how she runs her office.

Willis also used the state’s anti-racketeering law to pursue alleged gang activity, including a high-profile case against rapper Young Thug. This case became bogged down in problems that dragged it out for almost two years. Jury selection lasted nearly 10 months, and opening statements took place a year ago this month. Young Thug and three other defendants pleaded guilty last week to the charges against them, but two defendants remain on trial.

Although Willis is a Democrat, she does not fit into the group of progressive prosecutors elected in jurisdictions across the country in recent years. Some critics on the left say she is overzealous in her use of state anti-racketeering and gang laws, unnecessarily complicating cases to obtain the enhanced penalties attached to those laws.

Progressive attorney Christian Wise Smith challenged Willis in the Democratic primary election in May, but she easily defeated him. Kramer ran unopposed in the Republican primary.