District Attorney Fani Willis won her primary Tuesday night as she runs for re-election amid her chaotic prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
Willis defeated her Democratic primary opponent Christian Wise Smith, a former prosecutor in Fulton.
The Associated Press declared Willis the winner of its primary as she edged Smith by 77 points with 39 percent of the votes counted.
Willis made a name for herself after filing an ambitious RICO case against former President Donald Trump, accusing him of conspiring to change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
But she also became embroiled in scandal after details leaked about her romantic affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, a man she paid handsomely to work on the case while they traveled on luxury vacations together.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks during a press conference:
Trump’s legal team argued that the relationship represented a conflict of interest because it prompted a lengthy hearing on whether she should still be able to prosecute the case.
Despite her personal and legal troubles, she was hailed as a champion for the left for her opposition 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 her gender.
Willis too popped up at the Big Bethel AME congregation during the scandal, comparing her fate to that of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and rallied the Democrats to her side.
“You can’t expect black women to be perfect and save the world,” she told the congregation. ‘The Lord makes us complete. We are not perfect. We need your prayers. We must be given the opportunity to stumble. We need mercy.”
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis participates in a parade
Willis’ willingness to fight appears to have galvanized Democrats who want Trump convicted of a criminal attempt to overturn the election in Georgia.
Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ultimately concluded in March that Willis could remain on the case as long as Wade was removed.
Judge McAfee is also expected to win his primary, despite his controversial decision to retain Willis’ position in Trump’s prosecution.
Despite McAffee’s ruling, the federal appeals court in Georgia decided Thursday to review the case, casting doubt on the trial’s timeline.
The date for that hearing has not yet been set.