Wiley Nickel won the Democratic primary for Wake County district attorney and is set to become just the third person to helm the office in four decades.
Nickel was in a three-way race to secure the Democratic nomination for the open seat. In Tuesday’s primary election, he secured 49% percent of the vote, while challengers Sherita Walton and Melanie Shekita won 30% and 20%, respectively.
There were no registered candidates from other parties, so it appears that Nickel will assume the role. He will replace Wake County’s current district attorney, Lorrin Freeman, who did not seek reelection.
Among the candidates, Nickel most aggressively distinguished himself from Freeman. Freeman served as the county’s district attorney since 2014, and her predecessor, Colon Willoughby, was first elected in the 1980s. That made for a rare opportunity for the three candidates to make an impression on voters considering a field where no candidate had the advantage of incumbency.
“I’m deeply grateful to the voters of Wake County for placing their trust in me,” Nickel posted on social media after results came in. “Tonight, they voted for change—a new direction focused on public safety, accountability, and restoring trust in our justice system.”
Freeman was targeted by criminal justice reformers in her 2021 reelection bid over her office’s prosecution of low-level marijuana cases, pursuit of the death penalty, and handling of cases involving police misconduct. According to The Assembly, she pursued the death penalty more than any district attorney in the state from 2015 to 2020; none of the primary candidates said they would not seek the death penalty. She also drew criticism when she sought to indict then-Attorney General Josh Stein over a 2020 campaign ad.
Nickel was also the only candidate in the running without prior experience in the office. He did do a stint in a California prosecutor’s office but is better known as a politician; he served two terms in the state Senate and one in the U.S. House before his district was redrawn. Prior to running for DA, he had announced plans to run for the U.S. Senate (until former Gov. Roy Cooper entered the race).
Shekita, though a 27-year-veteran of the Wake DA’s office, did not align herself with Freeman on the campaign trail. In particular, she highlighted the need to boost morale and retention. Depending on voters’ opinions of the current office, her experience there was either a plus or a minus. She helped start and then led its special victims unit. She also had endorsements from a who’s who of current and former court officials, including Willoughby.
Walton, who has about 20 years of legal experience, including five as a prosecutor in the Wake DA’s office, had less courthouse support, with the notable exception of Freeman’s endorsement. She did snag endorsements from some local elected officials, including former Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane and Raleigh City Councilmember Stormie Forte. Walton is currently a senior associate city attorney advising the Raleigh Police Department.
Nickel criticized Freeman on several fronts. He pledged to do more to address political corruption and law enforcement misconduct, secure resources for the office, and engage with the community. He had the backing of a long list of local and state officials, as well as the biggest campaign coffers.
According to the latest campaign finance reports, Nickel had brought in $585,000 and spent $433,000 this election cycle through mid-February. Shekita had raised about $96,000 and spent $59,000 by mid-February. Walton’s latest reports aren’t available; the state Board of Elections has experienced delays in uploading some reports. At the end of 2025, Walton reported raising around $83,000, with $36,000 on hand.
Nickel had pitched himself as the most progressive candidate in the race, emphasizing the ways he would counter the Trump administration at the local level: by prosecuting federal law enforcement agents who violate people’s rights in Wake and elected officials who engage in political corruption to ensure a state conviction stands in the event of a federal pardon.
“No one is above the law—not elected officials, not powerful interests, not insiders. If you break the law in Wake County, you will be held accountable,” Nickel’s social media post continued. “And let me be clear: I will not sit quietly while Donald Trump attacks the Constitution and undermines the rule of law. If federal officials violate the rights of the people of Wake County—or attempt to use our local justice system to advance an extreme political agenda—I will fight back with every ounce of my energy.”
Shekita emphasized her experience prosecuting violent crimes and supporting rehabilitative programs in the community that keep people out of the court system. She pledged to keep a violent crimes caseload and create a system for fast-tracking those cases. On the campaign trail, she took a couple swipes at Nickel and his relative inexperience.
In a statement on social media Wednesday, Shekita congratulated Nickel and wished him the best.
“During this campaign, we traveled across Wake County, met with voters in their communities, listened to their concerns, and had meaningful conversations about the future of justice in our county,” she wrote, thanking supporters and campaign volunteers.
Walton, for her part, stressed the advantage of her experience working in both the DA’s office and the police department, outlining plans to be transparent about officer misconduct, improve coordination with local law enforcement, and prioritize violent and juvenile crimes.
Walton, in a social media post, said she “gave this race my all.”
“The conversations, the lessons, and the relationships built during this campaign are gifts I will carry with me into whatever comes next,” she continued. “I will continue to show up for this community I chose as my home—however and whenever I can.”
In the only other Wake courthouse contest on the ballot, incumbent District Court Judge Rashad A. Hauter won reelection after his opponent dropped out and endorsed him.
Results are unofficial until certified.
Jane Porter contributed reporting. This story has been updated to include a statement from Shekita.
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