Wake DA primary: Will a rare race with no incumbent mean change?

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3 hours ago

After more than a decade as Wake County's top prosecutor, Lorrin Freeman's plans to retire leaves one of North Carolina's most powerful legal posts up for grabs in 2026.
It's the first time an incumbent hasn't run for district attorney in Wake in more than 10 years. And just the third time in 40 years.
Like other district attorneys across the state, the Wake DA decides whether to seek the death penalty in murder cases, whether to investigate and prosecute local police and what diversion programs to offer to allow people to try to erase their criminal charges or stay out of prison.
But this DA post is a bigger job than in most North Carolina. Since Raleigh is the state capital, the local DA has extra duties.
Freeman has directed investigations into accusations against state government officials, including Gov. Governor Josh Stein while he was attorney general in 2022 and former treasurer Dale Folwell in 2024, for instance. It was she who decided to investigate but not prosecute two state Highway Patrol members she concluded had conspired to lie after a fatal crash in Raleigh.
Two Democrats have already announced they are candidates for a March 2026 primary, with influential supporters announcing endorsements and fundraisers even though voting is more than six months away.
Freeman endorsed Sherita Walton, a former prosecutor turned Raleigh police attorney and the first Black candidate in recent memory, according to interviews.
Freeman's predecessor Colon Willoughby, Wake DA for 28 years, endorsed Melanie Shekita. Shekita grew up in Raleigh and spent 27 years as a prosecutor in the Wake.
This race may have a third contender, too. Former U.S. House member Wiley Nickel, who recently pulled out of the U.S. Senate primary campaign to make room for former Gov. Roy Cooper, may also run, according to several news reports. Nickel declined to comment through a spokesperson.
When asked about the former state and federal legislator's potential run, Freeman said the community has benefited from a tradition that keeps partisan politics out of local courts.
'Being District Attorney is a highly demanding and critical role for our community and ideally isn't someone's afterthought,' Freeman wrote in a text.
Whoever wins what could be a compelling and competitive Democratic primary in March may well succeed Freeman, as Democrats have historically won the Wake DA race.
Who is Melanie Shekita?
After working in the DA's office for 27 years, Shekita, 53, had already been thinking about whether she would run whenever Freeman decided to retire.
After Freeman announced her decision at a staff meeting in May, Shekita said she decided her experience makes her the best person for the job.
Shekita grew up in Raleigh, attended UNC-Chapel Hill and then Campbell Law School in Buies Creek. She interned and later went to work at the Wake DA's office for nearly three decades.
'It makes me uniquely qualified to make sure that this office continues to be the best office in the state,' Shekita said.
Shekita currently oversees the Wake office's special victims unit, which handles crimes against children and certain sexual assaults.
Willoughby, who hired Shekita as an assistant district attorney, agrees she is the best candidate. He lauded her 'dedication to the office and her commitment to victims.'
As DA, Shekita's top priorities would be working to curb gun violence by targeting offenders and prosecuting them as quickly as possible, she said. She also wants to address an increasing trend of youth with guns and focus on recruiting and retaining prosecutors.
Who is Sherita Walton?
Walton, 47, didn't plan on running for district attorney. That was until Freeman met her for lunch and encouraged her to run, Walton said.
Walton took some time to reflect on her career and her faith, she said, and realized it was time for her to step up.
'I felt called to lead, and to bring about the kind of justice that is possible when doing what's right is the goal,' she said.
Walton grew up in Brooklyn, attending Binghamton University and law school at Pace University in White Plains, NY. She worked in private practice in New York City, and then served as a prosecutor in Manhattan.
In 2016, Walton and her husband moved to North Carolina, looking for a better environment to raise their two children, she said. Walton worked for Freeman until 2021, when she accepted a job with the city of Raleigh advising police during serious events and handling requests for officer dashboard- and body-camera footage.
Her diverse experience will allow her to 'elevate our office to meet the demands of one of the fastest growing counties in the nation,' Freeman said.
Walton's first priority as DA would be cases that threaten the community's public safety, which includes violent offenses and sexual assaults, she said.
She would also emphasize integrity and compassion, she said, and take pains to be sure that victims and defendants understand how they should be treated.
Wake DA election dynamics
Incumbent DAs don't just run often, they often win handily.
The trend held in 2022, even when Freeman faced a highly critical, nearly yearlong challenge from Democratic candidate and defense attorney Damon Chetson.
Chetson, along with other more left-leaning Democrats, criticized Freeman's decision not to denounce the death penalty or drop charges against people charged with low-level marijuana offenses. They also criticized her handling of cases involving police and said there was too little diversity among prosecutors in her office.
An anonymous group created a website — lorrinfreemanfiles.com — and placed billboards on box trucks to criticize Freeman, saying she put 'police above the law' and was 'the most bloodthirsty prosecutor in North Carolina.'
But voters ultimately supported Freeman, who received nearly 60% of the vote in the Democratic primary. In the general election, she won more than 60% of the vote against Republican Jeff Dobson.
Like Freeman, Walton and Shekita would not denounce the death penalty, they said. Also like Freeman, they said that low-level marijuana cases would be a low priority, but neither would agree to not enforce state laws. Durham County's district attorney has said she won't prosecute low-level marijuana charges, and some people have pushed for Freeman to do the same.
But both women said their leadership would differ from Freeman's in some ways.
Walton would work to better inform the public on what is happening in the Wake DA's office and the criminal justice system, she said. Shekita said she would focus more on staff retention and spend more time in court than Freeman has.
At least one local civil rights advocate, Dawn Blagrove of Emancipate NC, said she isn't impressed with those known or expected to run for the big-impact position, saying they wouldn't bring enough reforms.
Blagrove, who leads the civil rights organization, is a frequent critic of Freeman and has participated in press conferences and events criticizing her for not pressing charges against police officers accused of misconduct.
'The two candidates that we have are so deeply rooted in the establishment, have been endorsed by the establishment in a way that I am hoping will not be palatable to a lot of people right now,' she said.
There is still plenty of time for other Democrats and Republicans to join the race. The deadline to announce is Dec. 19.
Virginia Bridges covers criminal justice in the Triangle and across North Carolina for The News & Observer. Her work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The N&O maintains full editorial control of its journalism.
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