Former U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel said Tuesday that he plans to run for Wake County district attorney, making official an effort to fill the seat being vacated by longtime DA Lorin Freeman, who is backing another Democrat in the race.
“In Congress, I took on the powerful and well connected to defend the right to vote, protect abortion access in North Carolina, and stop big corporations from price gouging working families,” Nickel, a Cary Democrat, said in a news release, adding that he’s running for county prosecutor to drive “real change” for Wake County.
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“I’m running to increase support for police and first responders and to make sure our justice system is more fair, more accountable, and more focused on real public safety,” Nickel said. “In this moment, we need a district attorney who will stand up for our rights and freedoms, hold corrupt politicians accountable, and defend our Constitution.”
Nickel has competition for the seat, but he’s the only Democratic candidate in the race to have won a major election. Democrats Melanie Shekita and Sherita Walton have also launched campaigns for the seat, which is up for election in November 2026. Shekita is a longtime Wake County prosecutor. In a statement Tuesday, Shekita said she welcomes Nickel to the race.
“I am unfamiliar with him professionally. In 27 years at the District Attorney's Office, I have never had a case with him, nor have I seen him in Wake County Superior Court,” Shekita said.
Shekita added: “This race for Wake District Attorney is about who has the experience in the courtrooms standing up for the victims of crime – making sure that justice is served. I am the only candidate with an extensive 27-year career fighting for justice.”
Walton, who has the support of Freeman, is a former Wake prosecutor who now works as an attorney for the Raleigh Police Department. In a statement to WRAL, Walton said she’s focused on serving Wake County residents.
“For me, this race is not about who my opponents are,” Walton said, adding: “My focus is on the people of Wake County and how I can best use my 20-plus years of diverse legal experience, including time as a Wake County Assistant District Attorney, to serve our community.”
Nickel had been exploring the possibility of a campaign for the county prosecutor role after dropping out of the race for North Carolina’s open U.S. Senate seat, WRAL previously reported.
He suspended his pursuit of the Democratic nomination in July after former Gov. Roy Cooper — who is undefeated in statewide elections — entered the Senate race.
Criminal defense to Congress
Nickel founded a criminal defense law practice in 2011 and previously worked as a White House staff member who helped coordinate travel logistics for the Obama administration. He was a state senator before running for an open seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022, seeking to represent a district covering parts of Wake, Johnston, Harnett and Wayne counties.
His congressional race was one of the most competitive in the nation. The district leaned Republican, but Nickel managed to defeat Trump-backed Republican Bo Hines. His ability to win in a Republican district emboldened him to seek the Senate seat.
Nickel had been among the more progressive Democrats in the state legislature. But during his single term in Congress, he aligned himself with the centrist wing of the party. As a congressional candidate, he focused on abortion access and reducing inflation. He also pushed for business-friendly immigration policies, saying hardline policies would hurt some businesses by restricting the poll of qualified workers.
As a congressional candidate, he said people from other countries who come to the U.S. for advanced degrees should automatically get a green card so they can join the workforce seamlessly. During an episode of WRAL’s “On the Record” program in October 2022, Nickel said people seeking to cross the U.S.-Mexico border unlawfully should be treated compassionately and have asylum claims considered.
Nickel chose not to run for reelection to his House seat in 2024 after Republican state lawmakers redrew his district from a tossup to one that more strongly favored a GOP candidate.
Since North Carolina changed its congressional maps, Nickel has been a vocal proponent of redistricting reform. And, when he dropped out of the Senate race earlier this year, he foreshadowed his efforts to remain in public office.
“I’ve still got a lot of work left to do, that part hasn’t changed,” Nickel said in a statement in July. “Public service is a part of who I am and you’ll hear more from me soon.”
Contested race
Freeman, who has been Wake’s DA since 2014, announced in May that she had decided to “find new ways to serve the community.”
She faced criticism from Democrats in 2022 after opening an investigation into then-Attorney General Josh Stein, who now serves as governor. Freeman probed whether Stein’s campaign circulated false and derogatory information about his opponent in the 2020 AG race—potentially violating a 90-year-old law that carries a fine of up to $1,000 and up to 60 days in jail. Cooper at the time called Freeman’s investigation an “unprecedented repression of free speech that should trouble everyone.” A federal appeals court ultimately blocked enforcement of the law.
“This has been one of the most challenging personal decisions I have ever made,” Freeman said in a May news release about leaving the DA’s office. “By the end of this term, I will have had the amazing opportunity to serve the people of this state for over three decades — with the last 20 years as an elected leader in our local courts."
With the election 15 months away, Freeman is eyeing Walton as a potential successor. “I continue to be impressed by Sherita Walton and believe her diverse experience is what we need to lead this office as our county continues to experience tremendous growth,” Freeman said in a statement to WRAL.
Freeman also questioned Nickel’s qualifications for the job.
“I am grateful for former Congressman Nickel’s service to our community, but it concerns me that he thinks the District Attorney’s position is one that can be bought,” Freeman said, adding: “Wake County voters have previously rejected candidates whose only criminal justice system experience is being a criminal defense attorney. I wish he would focus his efforts where his heart seems to be, which is in fighting gerrymandering.”
In an interview Tuesday, Nickel declined to respond to Freeman’s comments.
“My focus is just a positive campaign on the issues. And we've got a lot we can do for Wake County,” Nickel said.