District Attorney Fani Willis won her primary election Tuesday night, as she seeks re-election in her chaotic prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
Willis defeated his Democratic primary opponent, Christian Wise Smith, a former Fulton district attorney.
The Associated Press declared Willis the winner of her primary, as she led Smith by 77 points with 39 percent of the votes counted.
Willis spoke to her supporters after her victory, thanking them for sending a strong message to the country.
“It’s a message that pisses people off, but there’s no one above the law in this country and no one below,” she said.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks at a press conference:
Willis urged his supporters to donate to his campaign, calling it the start of his fight against his Republican opponent.
She referenced her Monday night interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow to highlight the issues they will face in November.
“Last night, Rachel Maddow, a very brilliant woman, said that this campaign, this movement, is a bellwether of democracy,” she said. “We need your support.”
Willis made a name for himself after filing an ambitious RICO complaint against former President Donald Trump, accusing him of conspiring to change the results of the 2020 presidential election.
But she was also caught up in scandal after details leaked about her affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, a man she paid handsomely to work on the case while they traveled together on a luxury vacation.
Trump’s legal team argued the relationship represented a conflict of interest as they triggered a lengthy hearing on whether she should still be able to pursue the case.
His Democratic opponent, Wise Smith, campaigned on the need to pursue Trump in a more sober and professional manner, but to no avail.
Fulton County Prosecutor Fani Willis walks in parade
Willis has been hailed as a champion of the left because of her contempt for Trump and his allies, despite her personal scandal sparking a firestorm of media coverage.
In response, Willis regularly shared details of death threats as the controversy continued, as well as multiple verbal attacks against her race and gender.
Willis also appeared at the Big Bethel AME congregation during the scandal, comparing her plight to that of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and rallied Democrats to her side.
“You can’t expect black women to be perfect and save the world,” she told the church congregation. “The Lord completes us. We are not perfect. We need your prayers. We must allow ourselves to stumble. We need grace.
Willis’ willingness to fight appears to have galvanized Democrats who want to see Trump convicted of criminally attempting to overturn the election in Georgia.
Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ultimately concluded in March that Willis had made a “huge error of judgment” but could stay on the case as long as Wade was removed from office.
Judge McAfee is also expected to win his primary, despite his controversial decision to preserve Willis’ position in the Trump lawsuits.
Despite McAffee’s ruling, the Georgia federal appeals court agreed Thursday to review the case, calling into question the timing of the Trump trial.
The date of this hearing has not been set.
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