District Attorney Fani Willis won her primary election Tuesday night as she runs for re-election during her chaotic prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
Willis defeated his Democratic primary opponent Christian Wise Smith, a former Fulton prosecutor.
The Associated Press declared Willis the winner of her primary, as she led Smith by 77 points with 39 percent of the votes counted. Yo
Willis made a name for himself after filing an ambitious RICO case against former President Donald Trump, accusing him of conspiring to change the results of the 2020 presidential election.
But she was also embroiled in scandal after details of her affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, a man she paid handsomely to work on the case while they traveled together on luxury vacations, were leaked.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks during a news conference.
Trump’s legal team argued that the relationship represented a conflict of interest, triggering a lengthy hearing over whether she should still be able to prosecute the case.
Despite her personal and legal problems, she was hailed as a champion of the left for her challenge to Trump and his allies.
Willis routinely shared details of death threats as the controversy continued, as well as verbal attacks on her race and gender.
Willis also appeared at the Big Bethel AME congregation during the scandal, comparing his plight to that of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr and rallying Democrats to his side.
“Black women can’t be expected to be perfect and save the world,” she told the church congregation. ‘The Lord is completing us. We are not perfect. We need his prayers. We need to be allowed to stumble. We need grace.’
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis participates in a parade
Willis’ willingness to fight appears to have galvanized Democrats who want Trump convicted of criminally attempting to overturn the election in Georgia.
Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee finally concluded in March that Willis could remain on the case while Wade was removed.
Judge McAfee is also expected to win his primary, despite his controversial decision to preserve Willis’s position in prosecuting Trump.
Despite McAffee’s ruling, the federal appeals court in Georgia agreed Thursday to review the case, casting doubt on the trial schedule.
No date has been set for that hearing.