Republican gerrymandering in North Carolina handed Donald Trump control of Congress in the last election. Trust me, I know — my seat was one of them. Now another round of Republican gerrymandering may hand Trump control of the next Congress.

I want to show you three numbers. They tell the whole story of how gerrymandering has rigged the House against Democrats, and why this is our last chance to fix it.

16.

That’s the head start Republicans had going into last year. Democrats gerrymander in some districts, but Republicans do it a lot more. The nonpartisan Brennan Center did the math. They found that rigged maps gave Republicans a built-in advantage of about 16 House seats after the 2024 election. That was before Texas, North Carolina, and other states started gerrymandering last year.

Here’s how they got that number. Republicans gerrymandered themselves 23 extra seats. Democrats gerrymandered 7. Subtract one from the other and Republicans come out 16 seats ahead. That’s not because more people vote Republican. It’s because Republicans are able to gerrymander in more states, and they’re just more ruthless than Democrats when they have the power.

Sixteen seats is a lot. In a House this close, control usually comes down to a handful of seats. So a 16-seat head start is a massive advantage.

I know from experience. The three seats Republicans gerrymandered in North Carolina, mine included, were the difference in control of Congress. Had I been allowed to run in my fair district, I would have been the 218th Democrat in the House, making Hakeem Jeffries the Speaker by ONE vote, 218-217. Trump’s Big Ugly Bill would have failed and we’d be living in a very different country right now with Democrats holding a check on Trump.

26.

That’s roughly where we are now, after the past year.

Last summer, Donald Trump told Republican states to redraw their maps in the middle of the decade. That’s not normal. Maps are supposed to be drawn once every ten years, after the census. Trump wanted them redrawn early for one reason: to steal more seats before the 2026 election.

Ten states redrew maps. Democrats fought back hard. California voters passed a map that canceled out most of what Texas did. For a while we fought it to a draw. Then Republicans added seats in places like North Carolina. Virginia’s Supreme Court threw out new Dem-leaning maps. And the Supreme Court stepped in for Trump, gutting the Voting Rights Act, and opening the door for Republican states across the South to erase Voting Rights Act seats held by Democrats.

When the dust settled, Republicans had padded their lead by about 10 more seats. Add that to the 16 they started with and you’re looking at somewhere around a 26-seat Republican gerrymandering advantage in November. All of it drawn, not won.

36.

That’s where this is headed after the next census, by the 2032 election, if nothing changes.

The Brennan Center projects that population shifts will hand the South nine new House seats after 2030. The biggest winners are Texas and Florida, the same states most willing to rig their maps. Meanwhile California and other blue states are set to lose seats after the census. Stack that on top of everything else and the Republican advantage would climb to around 36 seats.

And here’s the gut punch. That Southern growth is coming mostly from communities of color. The same voters Republican map-makers are best at cracking apart and drawing out of power. Those voters are the ones handing these states more seats to gerrymander.

So follow the line. 16, then 26, then 36. Each step, the map gets more rigged, and the voters matter less. Left alone, this ends in a House where Democrats can win the popular vote by a lot and never win the majority. That’s not democracy. That’s a rigged game with a nice-sounding name.

What this means for the midterms.

Here’s the same rigged map, measured a different way.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report looked at every district after this year’s GOP map-rigging and found that the typical House seat now leans about 3 points more Republican than the country as a whole. Before the gerrymandering war, it was about 1 point more Republican. Now the middle of the map sits well to the right of the middle of the country.

Here’s what that does to a normal election. Out of all 435 seats, only 77 are remotely competitive, the ones that sit within 5 points either way of the national average. Those are the seats that actually get decided by voters. Everything else is locked in before Election Day once people vote in their primaries. And to win a majority, Democrats have to win 57 of those 77 swing seats. That’s 74%. Republicans only need to win about a quarter of them.

Think about how lopsided that is. In a fair system, if the country splits 50-50, the House splits close to 50-50. Now it doesn’t. Democrats are fighting with one arm tied behind our backs. We start three points down and have to sweep nearly three out of every four battleground seats just to squeak out a majority. We can still win, thanks to a President who is totally inept and running our economy into the toilet. But we have to win big just to win at all, and that’s exactly how the MAGA extremists who drew the maps want it.

And here's what should terrify Republicans. They rigged the maps this hard, tilted the whole country three points in their favor, and Democrats are STILL favored to take back the House in 2026. Think about that. They cheated as much as they possibly could, and it might not be enough to save them. That's how badly this is going for them, and it's why they're so desperate to rig the next map too.

Here’s the truth about how we fix it.

I’ve lived this. Republicans in Raleigh gerrymandered me out of my fair, 50/50 seat in Congress. So while I was still in Congress I wrote a bill to end gerrymandering for good. It’s called the FAIR MAPS Act. The idea is simple: take map-drawing away from politicians in every state and hand it to independent, nonpartisan redistricting commissions made up of regular citizens. Duke researchers found it would roughly double the number of competitive seats in the House. It would also make the kind of mid-decade power grab we just watched totally illegal.

Politicians can’t be trusted to draw their own maps. History has made that clear. The only real fix takes the pen out of all their hands for good.

But a good bill isn’t enough. You have to be able to pass it. And this is the part I won’t sugarcoat.

The House can pass fair maps. If Hakeem Jeffries is Speaker, my bill will pass the House right away. The wall is the Senate, where the filibuster lets a future GOP minority kill it. So here’s the honest path, plainly stated. We need a Senate willing to set the filibuster aside for legislation that protects democracy itself. And we need a president in 2028 who will sign fair maps into law. Nothing less gets it done. Not a lawsuit. Not one good election. Not waiting it out. The game is rigged at the level of the maps, and only a federal law can un-rig it.

Trust Democrats to Deliver

Now, why trust Democrats to actually do this? I’ll give you the honest answer, because I think it’s more convincing than a promise. Democrats will win more seats with fair maps.

Our interests and the public’s interest point the same way. The current rigged system helps Republicans more than Democrats. That means Democrats are the ones incentivized to tear it down. When doing the right thing and helping your own party line up perfectly, that’s a promise you can take to the bank. You don’t have to trust our hearts. You can trust the math. Democrats benefit from fair maps — and by the way, so do voters in the center.

So that’s the fight. A Senate that will set aside the filibuster for democracy. A president in 2028 who will sign the fix. And fair maps that finally let voters pick their politicians instead of politicians picking their voters.

This fight isn’t complicated. Republicans rigged the maps because they can’t win a fair fight. So we have to take the pen out of their hands, in every state, for good.

I’m in this fight. If you are too, follow me on Social Media and let’s get to work. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the Substack comments and I’ll try to answer as many questions as I can.

-Wiley

P.S. This fight costs money. If you believe voters should pick their politicians instead of the other way around, please pitch in today and help me keep at it. Anything helps.

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I want to tell you about a decision I don’t regret for a second.

In 2022, I flipped North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District from red to blue. It was one of only six Republican seats in the entire country that Democrats won that year. In a brutal cycle, in a purple state, we did it.

Then Republicans in Raleigh took it away without a single vote being cast. They redrew the map and erased my district. The people who elected me were moved into other districts, and the seat I won was gone with them.

I’m not telling you this so you’ll feel bad for me. I’m telling you because it’s the whole problem in one story.

Gerrymandering is wrecking the US Congress. When politicians get to pick their voters, they draw themselves safe seats where the only threat is a primary from the far right or the far left. So they govern to the extremes. Out of 435 House seats, only around 10% are genuinely competitive anymore. The other 90% are locked up in low-turnout primaries before a single general-election vote is cast, meaning few people in Congress have any real incentive to work across the aisle.

So I didn’t just complain about it. I authored the FAIR MAPS Act and introduced it in Congress. It would take map-drawing away from politicians and hand it to independent, nonpartisan redistricting commissions in every state. Duke researchers found a national law like it would double the number of competitive seats in the House. More competition means more accountability, and members who actually have to answer to all their voters.

There’s only one way to fix this for good, and it’s not complicated. You pass a national law banning partisan gerrymandering. Hakeem Jeffries and House Democrats will pass my bill as soon as they have the votes. I have no doubt about it. The House isn’t the problem.

The Senate is the problem. A gerrymandering ban dies in the Senate as long as the filibuster lets a Republican minority block it. The only way it ever becomes law is if Democrats take the Senate, carve out an exception to the filibuster for the fundamental rights that shouldn’t hang on a procedural rule — abortion, voting rights, and an end to partisan gerrymandering — and then pass the bills.

And the clearest path to flipping the Senate runs through North Carolina.

Which brings me to the decision I want to tell you about.

The race I started

When Republicans gerrymandered me out of my seat, I could have cashed in. A former congressman can go make a boatload of money lobbying, and plenty do. That’s not what I did. I looked at our U.S. Senate seat and thought: that’s a fight worth having.

So I started running, and I gave it everything I had. I believe in this state, and I know we’ve got to fix a broken political system. I lived that. I wasn’t going to watch from the sidelines. For a while, I was all in.

Then Roy Cooper got in

I’ll be straight with you, because you deserve that. I always believed Roy was the strongest candidate we could put up for this seat. Two-term governor, four-term attorney general, six statewide wins and no losses. He left office more popular than the day he walked in. If you built a candidate in a lab to flip North Carolina blue, you’d build Roy Cooper.

I just never thought he’d run, and I never thought Thom Tillis would step down. When both happened, the math got simple. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was pretty easy.

I could have stayed in and made it a primary. Democrats trading punches while Trump takes a wrecking ball to the Constitution. So I got out of the way and endorsed Roy. A united Democratic Party focused on sending Trump a message is how we flip this seat. A bruising primary is how we hand it away. That mattered more to me than staying in the race. It still does.

Why Roy, specifically

Let me tell you what kind of governor Roy Cooper was, because it's the same thing that will make him a great US senator.

I was in the North Carolina State Senate from 2019 to 2023. Those were hard years to be a Democrat in that building. We were outnumbered. But we had one job that mattered more than any other: hold the line on Roy’s vetoes. And we did. Every single time. Roy vetoed some very bad bills, and Republicans never once overrode him while I was there. Our votes were the firewall between a good governor and a legislature itching to run him over, and that firewall held the whole time.

That’s what Roy does to the opposition. They couldn’t beat him at the ballot box in six statewide races. For years they couldn’t even override his veto and it was good for public policy in our state. Democrats and Republicans had to work together and we’re all better off for it.

He’s also just a really good guy

Roy and I go back. He encouraged me to run for the NC Senate in 2018. Right after I won my seat, he came to Cary and headlined a fundraiser for me. A sitting governor showing up in my hometown for a brand-new state senator. I never forgot it.

So when people ask why I endorsed him, the head answer is easy. He’s the best shot we’ve had at this seat in forty years. But the gut answer is simpler. He showed up for North Carolina, and I’m going to show up for him. And I don’t mean a press release and a retweet. Right after I got out of the race, I hosted a fundraiser for Roy at my home. Endorsing him was never the point. Getting him elected is.

Now for the hard truth

I don’t want to oversell this, so I’ll give it to you straight.

The good news is real. Roy is running a terrific campaign, and the Cook Political Report recently moved this race from toss-up to lean Democrat, calling it the GOP-held seat Democrats are most likely to flip in the entire country. That’s not spin. It’s from the most respected race-rating group in the business.

But this is a tough fight. It’s always a tough fight in a 50/50 state. Want to know how tough? Since Terry Sanford won in 1986, Democrats have won a U.S. Senate race in North Carolina exactly twice. John Edwards in 1998. Kay Hagan in 2008. Forty years, two wins.

That’s the hill we’re climbing. Roy Cooper is the best candidate we’ve had to climb it in a long time. And the other side knows it and they’re going to spend an ungodly amount of dark money to try and stop him.

So here’s my ask

I’m asking you to do exactly what I did: get in this fight.

You can split a donation between my campaign and Roy’s with a single click. It’s the simplest way to keep me doing this work and help send Roy Cooper to the United States Senate, where North Carolina needs him.

SPLIT MY DONATION →

Thanks for being in this fight. It matters more than it ever has.

Back to work.

— Wiley

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P.S. On Wednesday, September 16th, Jeff Jackson is joining me for a fundraising lunch in downtown Raleigh. I hope you can save the date and join us for a great seated lunch. It’s the one big event we’re working on this year.

Hit this link to join us on September 16th →

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People ask me how I know Jeff Jackson. Honest answer? We lost a lot of fights together.

It started in the North Carolina Senate. We were both in the minority, which is a polite way of saying we spent long nights making great arguments to people who’d already made up their minds to totally ignore us. We’d stand up, explain exactly why a bill was a bad idea and watch it pass anyway. Then we’d get up and do it again the next day.

You learn a lot about a person in a fight you know you’re going to lose. Do they show up. Do they keep their word. Can they still laugh at the end of a rough week. Jeff did all three.

We both made it from Raleigh to Washington and served two years together in the US Congress. Same freshman class, same uphill battles against a Republican majority, same long trips home to a state we were trying to do right by. By then we went back the better part of a decade.

Gerrymandered out of our seats

Then came the part neither of us picked. Republicans in the legislature redrew the congressional maps to pick their own voters and cut the rest of us loose. My district was erased out from under me. Jeff got the same deal in Charlotte. Different cities, same trick, and it cost us both our seats. If you want to bond with someone fast, get gerrymandered by the same Republican legislature in the same year.

Here’s the thing I love about what Jeff did next. He kept fighting. He ran for Attorney General, an office where you can’t gerrymander the boundaries of our state. And he won. He got pushed out of one office but handed an even bigger one, because the voters got the last word in our 50/50 state.

He’s been good at it, too. Clawed back money for our schools. Went after the opioid companies. Took on the scammers who prey on seniors.

And now I’m back at it as well. In January I’ll be sworn in as Wake County’s next District Attorney, ready to continue the fight right here at home. So here we are, both of us still standing: him as Attorney General, me as District Attorney. Not the path either of us drew up, but a pretty good one — and a small, satisfying bit of payback against the Republicans in the Legislature (courtesy of the voters) for a gerrymander that was supposed to send both of us home for good.

Friends in the Trenches

Here’s the part I’m most proud of. When I got to Congress, I knew the job would be hard on my wife Caroline, so I did something about it. I put together a dinner with three other freshman members. Jeff and Marisa, plus two more freshmen Democrats I won’t name, plus their significant others - so the spouses could meet. And something much better happened. They all became fast friends. My wife went from dreading Washington to being glad she was part of it, because she had her own people there.

Turns out the thing that gets you through all of this isn’t the wins. It’s having good friends in the trenches with you. And making sure the people you love have theirs too.

Join Us on September 16th

That’s why I’m writing you today.

On Wednesday, September 16th, Jeff’s joining me for a seated lunch in downtown Raleigh at Sitti, and I’d love for you to be there too. Two old colleagues, a lot of stories, and a chance to talk about the work ahead as I get ready to be sworn in as our next Wake County DA.

Come hang out with us for a great lunch to support my campaign. The fights are more fun with good company. And these days, we’re actually winning a few.

Hit this link to join us on September 16th →

- Wiley

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Just days after the 2024 election, I wrote a piece in the Washington Post arguing that Democrats should do something we’ve never done: build an opposition cabinet. A team of our best leaders in Congress, one senator or representative assigned to go toe to toe with each of Trump’s cabinet secretaries, ready to call out every bad move and, just as important, say what we’d do instead.

It got some attention. I made the rounds on CNN, MSNBC, News Nation and Fox. Timothy Snyder had a good Substack about it. Then it went nowhere.

Here’s the idea in one sentence: put one congressional Democrat in charge of the opposition to each cabinet agency, so every time the administration does something, one clear voice is there to respond and offer a better way. That’s it.

First, the name…

I called it a “shadow cabinet,” because that’s what they call it in Britain, Canada, and Australia. It’s been a staple of those democracies for 100 years. It’s just a description, nothing sinister about it.

But here’s what I learned: the word “shadow” freaked out some people. The far right grabbed it and spun it into something secret and conspiratorial, some unelected shadow government lurking in the dark. That’s nonsense. Of course they didn’t bother to even read the opinion piece. But the name gave them the opening, and it got in the way of a good idea.

So let’s call it what it actually is: a Democratic Opposition Cabinet. Same thing our closest allies have done for generations, without the spooky name.

Why it didn’t take the first time

Two things killed it.

It was too early. I wrote it the week after the loss, when we were all still on the floor. “Last week stung,” is how I opened it, and it did. Nobody builds a disciplined, year-long opposition while they’re still catching their breath. The idea landed in a party that wasn’t ready to do much but whine and complain.

And the knock was that this is a British parliamentary thing that doesn’t fit our system, a foreign import. That only works if you misread what I’m actually saying. So let me be more clear about what this is.

This isn’t a shadow government. It’s a messaging operation.

I’m not talking about changing the Constitution, creating new offices, or setting anyone up to “take over.” There’s one president at a time. That’s not up for debate.

I’m talking about getting organized. Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries would pick a handful of our best messengers and make each one the designated person to answer a Trump cabinet secretary and go toe-to-toe with that person. That member owns it. They’re who the press calls, who the advocates rally behind, who shows up every single time the administration moves on their front, ready with the criticism and the much better idea.

It’s a way to organize our opposition and right now our opposition is a total mess. Everybody talks, nobody owns anything, and the message gets scattered to the wind. A Democratic Opposition Cabinet fixes that. It’s not a government-in-waiting. It’s a great essaging tool so we fight back the same way every day.

Trump and his billionaire friends are very good at one thing: flooding the zone. Trump’s Attorney General says something, and right now it’s a coin flip whether any of us answer it, or twenty of us answer it in twenty different ways. With this, our designated person answers it, same day, every time. Cable bookers know exactly who to call. When they move to gut an agency, you get one clear voice who’s lived on that beat and can say it plain: here’s what they’re doing, here’s who it hurts, here’s what we’d do instead. They can’t flood the zone if we stop letting them.

Why now?

Look, here’s where I land after reading every post-mortem take about what went wrong in 2024. We didn’t lose because we’re short on good ideas. Democrats have better policies to help working families deal with rising costs and the disastrous effects of Trump’s policies. We just did a lousy job explaining it, and we spent way too much time talking about what we’re against instead of what we’re for.

Everything we do between now and the midterms has to fix that. Hold this administration accountable in a way people can actually see, and give folks a reason to come back to the Democratic party. A Democratic Opposition Cabinet does both. And it sets us up for what comes after, keeping the opposition sharp and the message clear all the way into 2028 when we’re gonna put a Democrat back in the Oval Office.

The best part: Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries can just do this on their own. No legislation, no vote, no extra pay for these members. It’s a decision by two people. Name the members. Give them their assignments. Let them go to town.

What we’re for

Last time I made this case, I closed with a line I still believe, so I’ll use it again.

The point was never just to oppose. It’s to show, not just say, what we stand for. We didn’t do enough of that in 2024, and we paid for it.

We’ve got the talent. We’re right on the issues. What we’ve been missing is the discipline to organize it and the guts to put our best messengers out front, every day, and let them fight back.

This is one solid thing we CAN do that will change the equation in Trump’s Washington.

The idea was right two years ago. It’s overdue now. Join me in calling on Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries to make it happen after the midterms.

- Wiley

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Wake County was left behind. Public safety will pay the price.

On January 1st I’ll take the oath of office as your next Wake County District Attorney. The job is simple: keep our community safe, fight violent crime, stand up for victims, and prosecute public corruption.

But before I take office, I need to tell you about a decision made in Raleigh that makes every one of those jobs harder — and makes all of us less safe.

Here’s how WRAL put it:

“’Playing politics with public safety’: NC budget makes Wake DA office state’s most understaffed” — WRAL, July 3, 2026

This year’s state budget funded 18 new prosecutors across North Carolina. Wake County got zero. When I’m sworn in, I’ll inherit the most understaffed prosecutor’s office in the state by the courts’ own workload formula — less than 65% of the prosecutors we need to keep our community safe.

Think about what that means. Victims will wait years instead of months for justice. Repeat offenders will stay out on our streets much longer because cases move more slowly. Serious crimes take longer to prosecute. Justice delayed isn’t just frustrating. It’s dangerous for all of us.

And the gap is staggering. Wake County has 45 prosecutors. Mecklenburg — a smaller county — has 95. That leaves the average Wake prosecutor responsible for more than 2,600 cases a year, against just 1,080 in Mecklenburg. No prosecutor can give every victim and every case the attention it deserves under that caseload.

I ran because I believe everyone deserves equal justice — holding violent offenders accountable, standing up for victims, and investigating public corruption wherever the facts lead. I’ll do everything I can with what we’re given. But Wake County deserves the resources the state itself says we need.

So how did this happen?

This wasn’t an accident. Districts worse off than Wake County got new prosecutors. Districts better off than Wake got new prosecutors. Wake County — one of the most understaffed in the state — got nothing. You don’t leave out the biggest county in North Carolina by mistake.

Before the budget was finalized, I repeatedly asked Representative Mike Schietzelt to meet about the staffing crisis. He declined to meet or take a call. Representative Erin Paré did speak with me by phone, and I appreciate that. But when the budget became law, Wake County still got zero and I’m told the problem was not with Senate Republicans who had those positions in their budget - it was the House Republicans. During the budget debate, Representative Schietzelt praised the legislature for adding 18 prosecutors statewide — he forgot to mention that his own county got none of them.

That leaves an obvious question: if Wake County’s only two Republican representatives won’t fight for Wake County on something as basic as public safety, who will?

I’ve seen government work much better than this.

When I served in the North Carolina Senate, Governor Roy Cooper never had a single veto overridden. That didn’t happen by accident. I worked to keep Senate Democrats united, and it held. Neither party got everything it wanted, but both had to come to the table. Compromise happened. Problems got solved. That’s how this is supposed to work.

Wake County deserves representatives who will work with anyone — Republicans or Democrats — to deliver what our community needs. If our two GOP representatives can’t deliver on something as fundamental as the prosecutors Wake County is owed, what exactly are they delivering?

Let me put this another way. Right now Republicans in the General Assembly are able to pass bills and override vetoes with the help of a few Democrats who were defeated in their primaries earlier this year. Because of that Governor Josh Stein no longer has a real veto on most issues. If Democrats pick up seats in the House and Senate we’ll be able to have a real compromise budget where Stein will have a seat at the table and Republicans will be forced to negotiate with him just like they did with Roy Cooper when I was in the State Senate. And I know Governor Josh Stein will prioritize public safety.

Elections have consequences.

Both Representative Schietzelt and Representative Paré will be on the ballot this fall, and their races are among the few genuinely competitive legislative seats left after massive GOP gerrymandering.

In 2024, Schietzelt won with just 50.3% of the vote and Erin Paré won with just 51.4%. But in Paré’s district, the voters gave Jeff Jackson and Rachel Hunt about 52% in their statewide races. These are close districts, and in a Republican gerrymandered map with very few competitive seats, that gives Wake County voters some real leverage.

Public safety shouldn’t be partisan. Victims aren’t Republicans or Democrats when they’re waiting years for justice. They’re our neighbors, and they deserve a system that works for everyone.

More Democrats at the table means more compromise between Governor Stein and the leaders of the Republican gerrymandered majority — and a better shot at fixing what this budget broke.

This fight isn’t over.

Over the coming months, I’ll keep speaking out until Wake County gets the prosecutors our community deserves. If you agree that public safety should come before politics:

• Contact Wake County’s Republican Representatives, Mike Schietzelt and Erin Paré, and ask why Wake County got zero. Their party is in charge. It was their budget.

• Talk to your friends and neighbors.

• Make your voice heard at the ballot box in November.

Our families deserve a justice system that works. Together, we’re going to keep fighting until Wake County gets the resources it needs.

- Wiley

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I want to tell you how Wake County ended up with the most understaffed prosecutor’s office in North Carolina, because the details from the rush to pass a state budget matter and most of them haven’t been told in one place.

Start with the math. North Carolina’s court system uses a workload formula to figure out how many prosecutors each district needs. It’s not political. It’s population, caseloads, and crime data. By the state’s own 2025 report, Wake County sits at about 64% of what that formula says we need. The judicial branch says we need 70 prosecutors. We have 45. The budget the legislature just passed gave other districts more prosecutors. Wake got none. (WRAL)

Now here’s the part almost nobody knows.

The NC Conference of District Attorneys, the group that represents every elected DA in this state, has a Republican majority. The Democratic DAs are in the minority (just 11 out of 42), even though we represent the bulk of the state’s population because we hold the big urban counties. When budget season came, that Republican-majority group could have played it safe and pushed for GOP districts. Republican DAs asking Republican legislators for help is an easy yes.

They didn’t do that. As a group, they decided to advocate for the offices in the worst shape on the workload formula, regardless of party. That list included Wake County. They made the ask together, as a bipartisan group of prosecutors who understand that a drowning courthouse is a public safety problem no matter who runs it. And criminals don’t respect county lines. If one county is in bad shape, it affects everyone around it.

The legislature followed their advice for everyone except Wake County. Robeson got seven new prosecutors. Cumberland got four. Other counties already better staffed than Wake got help too. Eighteen new positions statewide were added to the budget. Wake County got zero. Now we’re far and away the most understaffed office in North Carolina. (WRAL)

This came up on the Senate floor back in the fall, when Charlotte got 10 new prosecutors through Iryna’s Law. Senator Dan Blue asked the obvious question: why Charlotte and not Raleigh? He was told House Republicans were only willing to pay for prosecutors in Charlotte. (WRAL)

The comparison with Mecklenburg is worth sitting with for a minute. Wake County has more people than Mecklenburg. They have 94 prosecutors. We have 45. Their prosecutors carry about 960 cases each. Ours average over 2,400. (CBS17)

And the Wake DA’s office was already underwater. Two years ago, Wake had 100 murder cases waiting for trial, and the office was funded to try about half the homicides it was actually handling. (ABC11) Superior Court criminal cases here take a median of 440 days to resolve, among the longest in the state.

Here’s what those numbers mean in real life. Victims waiting years instead of months for justice. A backlog that grows every week. Repeat offenders staying on the streets longer because nobody has time to move their cases. Flat funding in a county growing this fast doesn’t mean things stay the same. It means they get worse. This is a dangerous situation for public safety in Wake County.

So why did this happen? Democrats at the legislature have their theories. Senate leader Phil Berger told reporters that budget writers simply forgot to include Wake, and that he’s already talking with Senator Blue about addressing it. (WRAL)

I’m going to take him at his word. The budget came together fast in its final days, and things get dropped when bills get rushed. Forgetting the state’s largest county is a bad mistake. But mistakes can be fixed, and this one has a fix sitting right in front of us. Having served in the General Assembly I think it’s more likely that someone on the House GOP side axed it at the last minute without telling the Senate GOP. But as Dan Haggerty explained on WRAL the law has been changed so there’s no good way to get the public records to see who took it out of the budget.

Anyway, a technical corrections bill is expected this month. Adding Wake’s positions gets this done in weeks, not years. The bipartisan group of DAs already made the case. The formula already shows the need. Senator Berger already acknowledged the mistake. All that’s left is to fix it.

If you live in Wake County, your legislators need to hear from you. Not angry messages, just clear and reasoned: fund the DA’s office to what the courts’ formula says we need, and do it in the corrections bill this month. This isn’t a partisan ask. A bipartisan group of prosecutors, most of them Republicans, already made it. And talk to folks in the business community. Know a CEO? Ask them to make the call.

I take office on January 1st. I’d much rather spend my first year putting criminal cases in front of juries than begging for the staff to do the job.

- Wiley

P.S. If you to take a deeper dive into this issue you can check out my recent interviews on WRAL and CBS17. Dan Haggerty devoted six minutes to it during the 7PM newscast on Friday and Russ Bowen talked about it with me for 20 minutes during his 8AM Sunday show.

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Five people did real harm. All five got pardoned.

I want to walk you through a few quick stories. A Capitol Police officer’s attacker. A truck company founder. A nursing home executive. A disgraced congressman. A Virginia sheriff.

Every one of these people was convicted of doing real harm to real people. And every one of them walked away scot-free with pardons from Donald Trump.

The cop and his attacker. Aquilino Gonell served in the Iraq War, then spent 17 years with the Capitol Police. On January 6th, a rioter named Kyle Fitzsimons — described by prosecutors as “one of the most violent and aggressive rioters” that day — was convicted of assaulting him and wrenching his shoulder so badly it took surgery and ended his career. Fitzsimons was convicted of 11 charges and sentenced to more than seven years. Then he was pardoned by Donald Trump. Sergeant Gonell had career-ending and life-altering injuries. The man who attacked him walked away free and clear. (CBS News; DOJ press release removed by Trump DOJ)

The sheriff. Scott Jenkins was the sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia. A jury convicted him of taking more than $75,000 in bribes and handing out badges in return — making businessmen, including two undercover FBI agents, sworn auxiliary deputies with no training or vetting. A judge sentenced him to 10 years and told him plainly: you sold badges to wealthy men who thought they were above the law. He was pardoned hours before he was due to report to prison. Even Virginia’s Republican Attorney General said it was wrong. (CBS News; Virginia Mercury)

The fraud. Trevor Milton ran a truck company and put out a video of his shiny new truck cruising down a highway. Except the truck didn’t work. They towed it to the top of a hill and filmed it rolling down, then sold investors on the idea it was the real thing. People put their savings into this company. Prosecutors were about to get him ordered to pay roughly $660 million back to the people he defrauded. Trump pardoned him before that happened, and before he paid a cent to those investors. (CNBC; Washington Post)

Workers paychecks. A Florida nursing home executive, Paul Walczak, was convicted of taking the taxes right out of his own employees' paychecks — more than $7 million — and instead of paying it where it was owed, he bought a $2 million yacht and shopped at Cartier. He owed $4.4 million in restitution. His pardon application had gone nowhere for weeks. Then his mother attended a $1-million-a-person fundraising dinner at Mar-a-Lago. Less than three weeks later, the pardon came through — about two weeks after he'd been sentenced. (Skilled Nursing News; New York Times; The Hill)

The Congressman. George Santos lied his way into Congress. He was charged with stealing his own donors’ identities and running up their credit cards — spending the money on designer clothes and personal luxuries. He plead guilty to 23 felonies and was sentenced to more than seven years, plus about $374,000 in restitution to his victims. Trump commuted his sentence after less than three months in prison. The clemency order wiped out the restitution too. Asked afterward whether he’d pay his victims back, Santos said only if the law forced him to do it. (NPR; NBC News)

The people who never got made whole

Notice who’s missing from every one of these stories: the victims.

When a fraud conviction comes with a restitution order, that money is supposed to go back to the people who got hurt. Milton’s investors, some of whom lost their life savings. Santos’s donors, who were defrauded out of their money. A pardon or commutation doesn’t just spring someone from prison — it can erase the order to pay those people back. So the harm stays done, and the people who suffered it are simply told: tough luck.

One of Milton’s victims, who lost more than $100,000, put it about as plainly as anyone could: crime doesn’t pay, the saying goes, but it sure paid off for Milton. (Washington Post).

A House Judiciary Committee analysis found that Trump's pardons and commutations let recipients skip more than $1.3 billion in restitution and fines owed to their victims and to taxpayers — money their victims will never see. (CBS News)

Why you probably didn’t hear about all of this

Here’s the part that should bother everyone. There have been so many of these, coming so fast, that it’s almost impossible to keep up. That’s not an accident. When you flood the zone and do this much this quickly, the public can’t keep pace. One outrage gets buried under the next one, and the public just can’t keep up with it all.

And there’s a thread running through a lot of these cases: the people getting them tend to have the right connections. Donors. Friends of friends. Access to the White House. The New York Times editorial board has called it what it looks like — something close to a pardon industry, where proximity to power buys you a way out. (NYT Editorial)

That’s the opposite of how clemency is supposed to work. Past presidents, whatever their faults, mostly saved their most controversial pardons for the very end of their terms — partly out of shame, partly because they no longer faced accountability at the ballot box. That restraint is gone.

The thing that ties it all together

Whatever your politics, this part isn’t complicated. If you assault a cop, if you sell badges, if you steal someone’s savings, if you raid your workers paychecks, if you defraud your donors — there should be consequences. And the people you hurt should at least get made whole. Wiping all of that away isn’t mercy. It’s telling people with the right connections that the rules don’t apply to them.

And that’s the whole danger. Not one bad pardon — but a system where justice quietly becomes something you can buy your way out of if you know the right people. From the county courthouse to the Oval Office, the law has to mean the same thing for everybody, or it doesn’t mean anything at all.

Here’s the part that gives me hope

A presidential pardon is powerful, but it has a hard limit: it only covers federal crimes. The president has no power to wipe away state crimes.

In a New York Times piece this week, law professor Tim Wu laid out the idea plainly — that the states, as their own sovereigns, can bring cases the federal government has abandoned, and that state prosecutions aren’t touched by a federal pardon. He points to a real example: Joseph Schwartz, who ran a fraudulent nursing home empire, got a federal pardon from Trump — but Arkansas’s Republican attorney general still made him serve state time and pay more than $1 million back. Wu argues that when states act together, across party lines, they can hold the line even under political pressure. (New York Times, “Tim Wu,” June 15, 2026)

I find that genuinely hopeful, because it matches something I believe down to my core: the rule of law doesn’t live in one building in Washington. It lives in every courthouse and every county, in the everyday work of treating people equally under the law — no exceptions for the powerful, no special deals for the connected.

That’s the standard I’ve set across my career as an attorney, a state senator, and a member of Congress. And it’s the standard I think every one of us should demand from everyone who serves in public office.

Did you know how bad this was? I’d like to hear from you. The comments are open.

- Wiley Nickel

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Yesterday, Greg Lindberg was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison after prosecutors described his conduct as “one of the biggest insurance frauds in history.” But to understand why this case still matters in North Carolina, you have to understand who was hurt — and what was allegedly corrupted along the way.

This was not some victimless white-collar crime.

Thousands of people invested retirement savings and annuities with Lindberg-controlled insurance companies believing their money would be there when they needed it. Instead, according to federal prosecutors, billions of dollars were diverted through a web of affiliated companies while policyholders spent years trapped in legal and financial limbo.

Prosecutors said that roughly 30,000 victims died before they could fully recover their money.

Think about that for a second.

These were retirees. Widows. Families counting on annuity payments to cover medical bills, prescriptions, assisted living, or simply to retire with dignity. Many spent years wondering whether the savings they worked their entire lives for would disappear.

According to reporting from InsuranceNewsNet, investigators said Lindberg “diverted vast sums of money from his North Carolina-based insurance companies to fund a lavish lifestyle and personal business interests.” Federal prosecutors said the fraud involved approximately $2 billion.

And while the fraud case moved forward, Lindberg was twice convicted in federal court in connection with a scheme to bribe North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey in exchange for favorable regulatory treatment. Prosecutors alleged Lindberg offered approximately $2 million in campaign contributions and related political support in an effort to influence oversight of his insurance companies.

Causey wore a wire for the FBI. Conversations were recorded. Federal juries convicted Lindberg after hearing the evidence.

Now another major issue hangs over the case: the possibility of a presidential pardon.

Lindberg has reportedly mounted an aggressive campaign to secure clemency from President Trump, hiring politically connected lobbyists and Trump allies to advocate on his behalf. According to the News & Observer, Lindberg even hired Keith Schiller — Trump’s former longtime bodyguard and former director of Oval Office operations — as part of that effort.

The pardon push carries added significance because Trump previously pardoned former Congressman and former North Carolina Republican Party Chair Robin Hayes, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during the same bribery investigation involving Lindberg and Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey.

But as InsuranceNewsNet noted after yesterday’s sentencing:

“Lindberg’s legal troubles might not be over. Wiley Nickel, all but certain to be elected as the next district attorney for Wake County, N.C., took to social media to announce that he will seek state criminal charges against Lindberg.”

The publication then added:

“That could be significant as Lindberg continues an aggressive campaign for a presidential pardon. North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey and U.S. Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd have publicly urged the president to deny this request.”

And more importantly, support for possible state accountability has become bipartisan.

Early on last year, Senator Thom Tillis and I were opponents in a U.S. Senate race. We disagree on many issues but yesterday, Tillis publicly supported possible state charges, saying:

“If state laws were broken, state prosecutors should pursue the case wherever the evidence leads.” - Senator Thom Tillis

That matters.

Because this shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, or independent, no one should believe that political influence, money, or connections puts someone above the law.

And presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes. They do not apply to state crimes. They do not erase North Carolina’s independent authority to enforce state law when state institutions, state regulators, and North Carolina citizens were allegedly harmed.

All of this points to a larger principle: North Carolina has its own laws, its own courts, and its own responsibility to determine whether our state’s interests have been fully vindicated. That’s why the Wake County District Attorney’s Office matters.

The federal government prosecutes federal crimes. But the allegations in this case involved attempts to bribe North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey, corrupt public decision-making in our state, and conduct that affected thousands of North Carolina citizens and policyholders.

The people of this state deserve to know whether every appropriate avenue of accountability under North Carolina law has been fully examined.

That’s why I issued the following statement yesterday:

“The federal case against Greg Lindberg is not the end of this matter. When I take office as Wake County District Attorney on January 1st, I’ll launch an investigation into possible state criminal charges related to this case.

The federal convictions established serious efforts to corrupt public decision-making in North Carolina and influence state regulators for private gain. North Carolina has its own laws, its own courts, and its own responsibility to hold people accountable when our laws are broken.

The people of this State deserve to know whether North Carolina’s interests have been fully vindicated. If the facts and the law support further action, my office will act immediately.

No federal action can limit North Carolina’s independent authority to enforce state law. The rule of law still matters here.”

This case was about more than money.

It was about whether wealth and political influence can overpower the public institutions that are supposed to protect ordinary people.

North Carolinians deserve to know that our laws apply equally — especially when retirees, working families, and the integrity of state government was put at risk.

- Wiley Nickel

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Wake County’s Justice System Is at a Breaking Point

Wake County is one of the fastest-growing communities in North Carolina.

But while our population has surged, our justice system hasn’t kept up — and the consequences are real.

Yesterday, I formally asked the Wake County Board of Commissioners to prioritize public safety in the FY 2026–27 budget by investing in the Wake County District Attorney’s Office.

Local media has already begun covering this issue, including report from the News & Observer and WRAL:

👉 https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article315628686.html

The Numbers Tell the Story

Let’s compare Wake County to Mecklenburg County:

• Mecklenburg County has 94 prosecutors

• Wake County has just 44

Average caseload per prosecutor:

• Mecklenburg: 960 cases

• Wake: 2,400+ cases

That gap is staggering.

It means prosecutors in Wake County are being asked to do more than twice the work — with fewer resources.

The Main Problem: Too Few Prosecutors, Too Many Cases

Right now, Wake County has the lowest number of prosecutors per capita in North Carolina.

At the same time, our prosecutors are handling more than double the caseload of some other counties.

Here’s what that means in practice:

• Victims wait years — not months — for justice

• Cases are delayed and backlogged

• Repeat offenders remain on the streets much longer than they should

This isn’t abstract. It’s not theoretical. It’s happening right now.

And it’s not sustainable.

A Proven Solution — That Wake County Hasn’t Tried Yet

This isn’t a new problem, and other counties have already taken action.

Mecklenburg County invests more than $6.7 million annually to support its District Attorney’s Office with 20 additional prosecutors and other staff.

12 Counties/Municipalities across North Carolina are stepping up to supplement state funding to meet their local public safety needs.

Wake County has not.

That’s why this request matters.

This is the first step toward bringing Wake County in line with what other communities are already doing — investing locally to keep their residents safe.

My Request to the County

I’ve asked the Wake County Board of Commissioners for an initial $603,000 investment to:

• Add 5 prosecutors and support staff

• Reduce case backlogs

• Improve efficiency across the system

• Launch a full-time mental health court

That last point is especially important.

In the wake of the tragic killing of Zoe Welsh, it’s clear that we are facing a growing mental health epidemic. A dedicated mental health court would connect appropriate individuals with treatment, reduce repeat offenses, and improve outcomes for everyone involved.

This Is About Public Safety

Wake County is preparing a $2.28 billion budget.

The question isn’t whether we can afford to invest in public safety.

It’s whether we can afford not to.

Because at current staffing levels, cases will fall through the cracks.

That’s not hypothetical — it’s inevitable.

What Happens Next

The Wake County Board of Commissioners will make decisions soon about the FY 2026–27 budget.

Public input matters in that process.

If you agree that Wake County needs a justice system that works:

📣 Contact the Wake County Board of Commissioners and make your voice heard.

Wake County is growing fast. Our justice system needs to grow with it.

— Wiley Nickel

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Early voting has wrapped up — and now it’s down to one big day:

Tuesday, March 3rd.

Caroline and I have spent this campaign walking neighborhoods, knocking doors, and meeting families all across Wake County — often with our kids in tow.

They’ve handed out buttons.
They’ve run up driveways.
They’ve reminded us (loudly and often) that snacks are non-negotiable.

But more than anything, they’ve reminded us why this race matters.

The decisions made by the District Attorney’s office shape public safety, fairness, and trust in our justice system. That’s why we’re so grateful that The News & Observer endorsed our campaign and called for “not only a new head prosecutor but a fresh view of how to support and employ the powers of the office.”

Now it’s up to voters.

If you haven’t cast your ballot yet, make your plan:

🗳 Election Day: Tuesday, March 3rd
⏰ Polls are open from 6:30 AM – 7:30 PM
(If you’re in line at 7:30 PM, you can still vote.)

📍 Find your polling place: Click Here

These races are decided by turnout — and every single vote truly matters.

From our family to yours, thank you for caring, for participating, and for showing up.

We’ll see you at the polls on Tuesday.

— Wiley Nickel

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38,318 Wake County early voters have already cast their ballot. If you haven’t voted yet, now is the time. Early voting continues until Saturday at 3PM and election day is Tuesday March 3rd.

This election for Wake County District Attorney is about resources, accountability and whether our justice system truly works for the people of Wake county.

Here are my top priorities:

Fix the Funding Crisis

Wake County is the largest county in North Carolina.

We have 43 prosecutors.

Mecklenburg County has 94.

That disparity affects everything — caseloads, how quickly cases move, how much time attorneys can devote to victims and families, and how efficiently justice is delivered.

Our career prosecutors are doing extraordinary work. But they’re overworked and understaffed. Victims have to wait years rather than months for justice and repeat offenders stay out on the streets much longer.

We need a District Attorney who will fight to get us the resources Wake County needs — at the state, county and city level — and who understands how to get it done.

On day one this will be my top priority.

Create a Full-Time Mental Health Court

We’re in the middle of a mental health crisis in our state and it’s one of the leading drivers of violent crime in Wake County.

More than 450,000 adults and young adults in North Carolina live with serious mental illness. Too often, our jails have become the default mental health system.

That’s not justice. And it doesn’t make us safer.

As District Attorney, I’ll establish a Mental Health Court in Wake County. Working with judges, treatment providers, and law enforcement, we can connect nonviolent offenders to treatment, reduce repeat offenses, and ease pressure on the courts.

Twelve Counties have these courts. Wake County should join the list.

Tackle Political Corruption

We’ve seen political corruption cases splashed across the front page day after day while nothing happens. The Wake DA is the person who decides whether to investigate or prosecute.

No one is above the law.

Not violent offenders.

Not powerful politicians.

Wake County deserves a District Attorney willing to tackle political corruption and follow the evidence wherever it leads.

ICE Won’t Get a Free Pass

ICE won’t get a free pass in Wake County when I’m District Attorney.

Recent federal immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota have included multiple deadly shootings of American citizens by federal agents. Those incidents raise serious questions about accountability and transparency.

If any federal agent breaks the law in Wake County, I’ll use the full weight of my office to prosecute abuse.

And Donald Trump can’t pardon state crimes.

The rule of law applies to everyone.

Ready to Lead on Day One

Wake County deserves steady leadership that understands the courtroom, understands government funding, and understands how to run an office focused on public safety.

That’s why I’m honored to have earned the endorsement of the News & Observer, which called for “a fresh view of how to support and employ the powers of the office.”

I’ve spent my career as a Wake County defense attorney, State Senator, and Congressman fighting for justice and holding powerful interests accountable. I’m ready to do that work as your next District Attorney.

Early voting ends Saturday, February 28th at 3:00 PM.

Election Day is Tuesday, March 3rd.

In these final days, we’re working to reach every voter who hasn’t yet cast a ballot. If you can chip in $25, $50, or more, it will directly support our final outreach efforts.

Donate Here

Let’s finish strong.

— Wiley Nickel

P.S. Every dollar helps us reach more Wake County voters with our positive message for change. If you’re able, please chip in today to help power this campaign forward.

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The Raleigh News & Observer has endorsed our campaign for Wake County District Attorney.

They didn’t just endorse us — they made the case for why Wake County needs new leadership, a fresh perspective, and a District Attorney who will meet this moment with courage and independence.

With Wake County early voting underway and the Democratic primary just two weeks away, this endorsement is an important sign that our campaign’s message is breaking through.

Wake County Is at a Turning Point

After serving as Wake County’s top prosecutor since 2014, our current District Attorney has chosen not to seek a fourth term.

As the News & Observer explains, with no Republican on the November ballot:

“Freeman’s successor effectively will be chosen by the winner of a three-way Democratic primary on March 3…”

In other words: this election will decide the future of justice in Wake County.

And voters face a clear choice:

“Democratic voters will have a choice between essentially staying Freeman’s diligent but quiet course, or electing a candidate who will raise the profile of an office… [with] the power to prosecute corruption within state government…”

A Fresh View — and the Courage to Use the Office

The News & Observer called for more than just a new name on the door.

They wrote:

“What’s needed now is not only a new head prosecutor but a fresh view of how to support and employ the powers of the office.”

That’s exactly why I’m running.

I believe Wake County deserves a District Attorney who will:

• Keep our communities safe

• Earn the public’s trust

• Modernize the office

• And hold the powerful accountable — no matter who they are

Experience That Brings a Broader Perspective

The editorial board highlighted the unique background I bring to this job:

“Wiley Nickel would come to the job with a fresh perspective and a broader view.”

They noted my service working for President Obama, serving in the State Senate, and representing Wake County in Congress.

That experience matters — because the Wake County DA’s office is not just about courtrooms. It’s about leadership, community confidence, and independence.

As they wrote:

“The DA is, after all, an elected office that must maintain the trust and confidence of the public.”

Building a Stronger Office

One of the challenges facing Wake County is simple: we need more resources to do the job right.

Wake has just 43 prosecutors, while Mecklenburg has 94.

The News & Observer recognized our campaign’s focus on strengthening the office:

“Nickel has shown a willingness to press for more resources for the DA’s office…”

As District Attorney, I’ll fight to ensure our prosecutors have the support they need — and that victims and communities get the justice they deserve.

Taking on Political Corruption

Most importantly, the News & Observer emphasized what has been missing for too long:

A Wake County DA willing to pursue corruption in state government.

They wrote:

“Nickel wants to activate the Wake DA’s dormant role as a prosecutor of political corruption.”

Wake County is home to the state capital. The DA has a responsibility to respond to credible reports and tips of wrongdoing — and to act, regardless of party.

As they said:

“As DA, Nickel promises he will be vigilant about wrongdoing, regardless of the political party involved.”

That’s a promise I intend to keep.

Protecting Constitutional Rights

The endorsement also noted my commitment to ensuring federal agents follow the law here in Wake County:

“What they’re doing is just random sweeps and terrorizing communities and trampling all over the Constitution…”

I put it my position on ICE Raids in writing weeks ago. Public safety and constitutional rights go hand in hand. We can’t sacrifice one for the other.

This Is Our Moment

The News & Observer concluded with a clear recommendation:

“We recommend Wiley Nickel for Wake County district attorney.”

I’m honored by their support — but this campaign has always been about something bigger than one endorsement.

It’s about building a justice system that works for everyone.

On March 3rd, we’ll choose our next District Attorney.

I’m asking for your vote.

Early voting is happening now. Election Day is Tuesday March 3rd.

Let’s finish strong — and bring real change to the Wake County District Attorney’s Office.

Thanks for being part of this fight,

— Wiley Nickel

P.S. Early voting is here, and every dollar helps us reach more Wake County voters with our positive message for change. If you’re able, please chip in today to help power this campaign forward.

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The most important part of this campaign is here: it’s time to vote!

Early voting begins Thursday, February 12th, and runs through Saturday February 28th. This is the easiest way to make sure your voice is heard before Election Day.

Election Day for the Democratic Primary is Tuesday, March 3rd.

Early voting gives you more flexibility and 12 convenient locations across Wake County to cast your ballot.

Wake County Early Voting Dates & Hours

Early Voting Begins: Thursday, February 12th
Early Voting Ends: Saturday February 28th
Election Day: Tuesday, March 3rd

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do I need a photo ID to vote?

Yes. North Carolina voters are now asked to present a valid photo ID when voting in person.

If you don’t have a photo ID, you still have options. Visit the State Board of Elections Voter ID webpage for more information.

A list of all types of ID that can be used for voting is available on here. For more information on how to get a free Voter ID, see How to Get a Free Voter Photo ID.

2. I’m unaffiliated — can I vote in the Democratic primary?

Yes. If you’re registered as an Unaffiliated voter, you can choose to vote in either the Democratic primary or the Republican primary during Early Voting or on Election Day.

When you check in, you will simply request the Democratic ballot.

3. Can I register and vote during early voting?

Yes. Eligible voters may take advantage of same-day registration during the early voting period.

Just bring proof of your residence, such as a utility bill, bank statement, or government document showing your name and address. Click here for more information.

4. Can I vote at any early voting location in Wake County?

Yes. Any eligible Wake County voter can vote at any of the 12 early voting sites across Wake County. So if you live in Raleigh you can Early Vote at the Apex location or any other location in Wake County.

5. What if I can’t physically enter the voting site?

Wake County offers curbside voting at all early voting locations for voters who are unable to enter due to age or physical disability.

Look for designated “Curbside Voting” parking spaces, and an election official will help you.

Big news: Our first TV ad is on the air 📺

Last week, we launched our first campaign commercial — one of the most powerful ways we have to reach voters across Wake County before the March 3rd Democratic primary.

The ad tells my story — from working for President Obama to working as a Wake County Defense Lawyer and serving as a State Senator and Congressman — and why I’m running for Wake County District Attorney.

I’m in this race to strengthen public safety, stand up to political corruption, and push back against far-right extremism.

If you believe Wake County deserves safer neighborhoods and real leadership, I’m asking for your help keeping this ad on the air and reaching every corner of our community.

👉 Please donate today at wileynickel.com

Together, we can deliver justice for victims and build a safer Wake County for everyone.

Thanks for being part of this fight,

— Wiley Nickel

P.S. No Republican will appear on the general election ballot, which means the Democratic primary will decide the next Wake County District Attorney. Let’s finish strong — please donate today and help us win this race for a better Wake County.

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Did you know that Mecklenburg County — a smaller County than Wake County — has more than twice as many prosecutors?

That’s not just a statistic. It’s a public safety problem.

The Wake County District Attorney’s Office is stretched thin. Our career prosecutors do an amazing job despite being overworked and understaffed compared to the rest of the state.

What does that mean for Wake County? It means victims have to wait years rather than months for justice — and repeat offenders stay on the streets much longer than they should.

Here are the numbers:

• Mecklenburg County: 94 prosecutors

• Wake County: 43 prosecutors

Again — more than double the number of prosecutors in Mecklenburg.

Wake County is the largest — and one of the fastest-growing — counties in North Carolina. In 2010, our population was 906,875. Today, it’s over 1.25 million, an increase of more than 35%. Yet the size of the Wake County DA’s Office has barely changed.

We simply cannot keep our community safe without the resources to do the job.

How does Mecklenburg have so many more prosecutors?

Because their elected leadership asked — and fought — for funding.

In Mecklenburg County, 23 of their 94 prosecutors are funded locally by Mecklenburg County and the City of Charlotte. Across North Carolina, a dozen counties/cities step up to fund 2–4 additional prosecutors to keep their communities safe.

But here in Wake County?

Despite strong support for public safety from the Wake County Board of Commissioners and the City of Raleigh, they’ve never been asked to fund additional prosecutor positions. The current District Attorney — who is not running for re-election — never tried to get county or city funding to expand the office.

That changes when I’m District Attorney.

My plan to fix this

As a former State Senator and United States Congressman, I know how to bring people together and secure real resources — at every level of government.

• State funding: I’ll aggressively lobby the NC General Assembly in a bipartisan way to fully staff the Wake County District Attorney’s Office. I’ll bring together community leaders from across the county to help me get it done.

• County and City funding: We need the City of Raleigh and the Wake County Board of Commissioners to match Mecklenburg by funding 23 additional prosecutor positions locally.

• Federal support: As a former Congressman, I brought back millions of dollars for law enforcement in North Carolina. As District Attorney, I’ll work with my former colleagues in Congress to bring federal dollars back to Wake County to help our courts, the DA’s Office and local law enforcement.

• Responsible private and volunteer support: I’ll expand internships, law school pipelines, and supervised volunteer programs to support victims and reduce administrative burdens — without ever compromising independence or integrity.

The numbers speak for themselves. Our career prosecutors do extraordinary work under tough conditions. They deserve a Wake County District Attorney who will double the size of the office, cut caseloads in half, and fight every day for the resources we need to keep our community safe.

Big news: our first TV ad is on the air 📺

We just launched our first campaign commercial, and it’s one of the best tools we have to reach voters across Wake County before the Democratic primary.

The ad tells my story — from working for President Obama, to serving as a State Senator and Congressman — and why I’m running for Wake County District Attorney to support public safety and stand up to corruption and extremism.

Producing and keeping a TV ad on the air is expensive — and that’s where you come in.

If you believe Wake County deserves safer neighborhoods, fully staffed prosecutors, and real leadership, I’m asking you to help us keep this ad on the air and reach every corner of Wake County.

👉 Please donate today at wileynickel.com

Together, we can fix this. We can stand up for law enforcement, deliver justice for victims, and build a safer Wake County for everyone.

Thanks for being part of this fight,

— Wiley Nickel

P.S. No Republican will appear on the general election ballot. That means the Democratic primary will decide the next Wake County District Attorney. Let’s close this race out strong — please donate today if you can. Donate HERE and help us fight for a better Wake County.

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The full weight of my office

As Wake County District Attorney, I’ll use the full weight of my office to hold any federal agent accountable who breaks the law in Wake County.

A federal badge doesn’t put anyone above the law in North Carolina — and Donald Trump cannot pardon state crimes. Accountability applies to everyone in Wake County, without exception.

What Happened in Minnesota — and Why It Matters Here

Earlier this month in Minneapolis, 37‑year-old Renee Nicole Good — a U.S. citizen and mother of three — was shot and killed by an ICE agent during a federal enforcement operation. Good had just dropped off her child at school and was not the subject of any criminal investigations. Video and eyewitness accounts show her trying to drive away as agents closed in, and within seconds she was fatally shot in the face. Her death sparked national outrage and condemnation from local leaders and law enforcement officers, who say deadly force was unjustified and demanded a full, transparent investigation.

What happened in Minnesota is not an isolated tragedy — it’s a warning. And it underscores why local prosecutors matter. If the officer is only tried on federal charges, we know that Donald Trump will pardon him, sending a message to every ICE agent that federal law doesn’t apply. Justice and accountability will only come if a local District Attorney pursues state-level criminal charges.

Let’s Talk About ICE Raids in North Carolina

We can all agree on this: violent criminals should be the focus of deportation efforts. That’s common sense and good for public safety.

But that’s not what’s happening here.

These ICE raids involve random sweeps of people based on how they look, including American citizens and people with no criminal records. At the same time, Trump is pulling thousands of federal agents off major criminal investigations to carry out these raids.

That doesn’t make us safer. It does the opposite.

It diverts resources away from fighting violent crime, human trafficking, and real threats, all in service of political theater. It destroys trust between communities and law enforcement — trust that prosecutors depend on to keep people safe.

Wake County deserves smart, targeted enforcement of violent criminals, not fear-driven raids that undermine public safety.

Real Enforcement vs. Political Theater

There’s an important truth that often gets lost in the noise: strong immigration enforcement and respect for the rule of law are not opposites.

We’ve seen that before.

Under President Obama, federal immigration enforcement removed millions of people from the country by focusing on violent criminals. Resources were focused where they mattered most — violent offenders, traffickers, and people who posed real threats to public safety. Enforcement was targeted, strategic, and lawful.

What we’re seeing now is very different.

Trump’s approach has produced less effective enforcement and far more chaos. Instead of prioritizing dangerous criminals, his administration relies on high-profile raids and random sweeps that target people based solely on their appearance, not on their behavior. Federal agents are pulled away from real investigations and redeployed for optics.

That’s not law enforcement. It’s political theater.

What About “Federal Immunity”?

There’s a lot of confusion about this, so let’s be clear: federal officers do not have blanket immunity from state criminal law. A federal badge does not give anyone permission to break North Carolina law.

While federal agents may raise defenses in court when acting lawfully within the scope of their duties, that protection ends the moment an agent steps outside the law. If a federal agent commits assault, uses unlawful deadly force, or otherwise violates North Carolina criminal statutes, a District Attorney has the authority to bring state criminal charges.

As District Attorney, my job is not to determine federal immunity — it’s to file charges when the law is broken. The courts can decide the rest.

The Choice Before Wake County

I’m running for Wake County District Attorney because the stakes for our community - and our democracy have never been higher.

If you believe no one is above the law,
If you believe public safety requires trust, accountability, and smart enforcement,
If you believe Wake County deserves better —

I’m asking for your support to be the next Wake County District Attorney.

Together, we can protect our community, uphold the Constitution, and make sure justice in Wake County applies to everyone — without exception.

— Wiley Nickel

P.S. If you believe in accountability, public safety, and the rule of law in Wake County, please consider making a contribution to support this campaign. Every dollar helps us reach voters and build a winning campaign. Donate HERE and help us fight for a better Wake County.

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Over the past few months, I’ve had the privilege of traveling across Wake County, sitting down with neighbors, faith leaders, students, advocates, and families who care deeply about fairness, safety, and accountability in our justice system. I wanted to take a moment to share where we’ve been, what we’ve built together, and why this race for Wake County District Attorney matters so much.

Campaign Announcement: Why I Stepped Up to run for Wake DA

When I announced this campaign, I wanted people to hear directly from me — why this race matters, what’s at stake for Wake County, and what kind of District Attorney I intend to be.

This short news clip from our campaign announcement captures the heart of this effort: real experience, real independence, and a commitment to fairness, safety, and accountability.

A Strong Start: Our Campaign Kickoff in Raleigh

More than 150 friends, neighbors, and community leaders came together to officially launch our campaign for Wake County District Attorney — and the energy in the room said everything.

This wasn’t just a fundraiser. It was a statement about the kind of campaign we’re running: people-powered, community-rooted, and focused on building a justice system that works for everyone.

Community Comes First

From day one, this campaign has been about meeting people where they are — in living rooms, community centers, churches, and neighborhoods across Wake County.

We’ve hosted free house parties in Cary, Raleigh, Apex, and beyond, because real conversations about justice and safety don’t happen behind closed doors. They happen when people come together, ask questions, and share their lived experiences.

A Great Night in Cary with Roy Cooper

One of the most meaningful moments so far was welcoming Governor Roy Cooper to our home in Cary.

Friends, neighbors, and supporters gathered to talk about the future of our state and the importance of leadership rooted in integrity and service. I’m proud to support Governor Cooper in his race for the US Senate.

Winning Locally: Supporting Democrats Up and Down the Ballot

This campaign is also about showing up for Democrats who are doing the work in Wake County.

I’ve been proud to support and campaign alongside Democratic candidates running for municipal office all across Wake County — and the results speak for themselves. In places like Cary, Apex, Garner, Wake Forest, Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina voters delivered clean sweeps, electing Democratic town councils committed to smart growth, transparency, and strong communities.

Our campaign knocked doors and raised money to help Democrats win big all over Wake County. Strong local leadership makes Wake County stronger — and it’s the same approach I’ll bring as District Attorney.

Turning 50 — and Looking Forward

This campaign season also came with a personal milestone: turning 50.

These moments remind me why this work matters: it’s about the future we’re building for our kids and for the next generation.

Filing Day: Why I’m Running for Wake County DA

In December, with my family by my side, I officially filed to run for Wake County District Attorney.

I’m running because Wake County deserves a justice system that is fair, accountable, and focused on real public safety — not politics, not fear, and not special treatment for the powerful. I’ve spent my career in public service and as a Wake County attorney standing up for people who needed someone in their corner, and I’m ready to bring that experience to the DA’s office.

Kicking Off 2026 the Right Way: Grassroots Organizing

We started the new year with action.

On Saturday more than 75 volunteers showed up in Cary — on a cold, rainy morning — to launch our canvassing effort for Wake County DA. That kind of turnout says everything you need to know about the heart of this campaign.

Grassroots organizing is how Democrats win, and it’s how we bring a positive message for change to every corner of Wake County.

Faith, Service, and Accountability

I’ve been grateful for the opportunity to worship and speak with faith communities across Wake County, including White Oak Missionary Baptist Church and Watts Chapel among others.

Faith reminds us that leadership requires compassion, integrity, and fairness — values that must guide our justice system and our work as public servants.

What’s at Stake

Wake County is growing fast — but our justice system hasn’t kept up. Did you know that Mecklenburg County has twice as many prosecutors as Wake County? They have 94 prosecutors while Wake County has just 43. That will change when I’m District Attorney.

As DA, I’ll prioritize violent crime, protect victims, support law enforcement, and make sure no one gets a free pass — no matter how powerful they are or what zip code they live in.

What Comes Next

With less than two months until the Democratic primary, this campaign is shifting into high gear.

Wake County early voting begins February 12th. Election Day is Tuesday, March 3rd.

We’re counting on grassroots supporters across Wake County to help us knock doors, make calls, and talk with voters about building a justice system that works for everyone.

Join Us

This campaign belongs to all of us.

If you’re ready to help build a fairer, safer, and more accountable Wake County, I hope you’ll join us.

👉 Volunteer, attend a house party, or learn more at wileynickel.com

Thanks for being part of this journey — and thanks for believing in what we can build together.

— Wiley

P.S. If you believe that the law should apply equally to everyone — and that Wake County deserves a District Attorney willing to stand up to corruption and powerful interests — please consider chipping in to our campaign. Donate HERE and help us fight for justice and accountability in Wake County.

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Why I Won’t “Leave It to the Feds” as Wake County DA

For decades, there’s been an unwritten rule between state and federal prosecutors: when the federal government brings a big case, state prosecutors step back.

• Let the feds handle it because they’ve got greater resources.

• Don’t duplicate efforts.

• One case is enough.

That rule used to make sense.

But Donald Trump broke it.

Trump hasn’t just abused the pardon power — he’s politicized the Department of Justice. He’s demanded “loyalty” from prosecutors, attacked career law enforcement officials who followed the law, and treated the DOJ like a personal defense firm for his allies and donors. We’re seeing cases that aren’t judged on the evidence or the law, but on whether they helped or hurt him politically. When a president turns federal law enforcement into a political weapon — and a political shield — trust in the entire system collapses.

Trump’s pardons represent a new low.

Trump has turned the presidential pardon into a political favor — a get-out-of-jail-free card for people with the right political connections. Wealthy supporters know they can pay Trump’s friends and allies millions to lobby him for a pardon. Once that happened, the old way of doing things stopped working.

Here’s the part most people don’t hear enough: a president can pardon federal crimes - but NOT state crimes. State level charges are now the safety net. They’re the last line of defense. And when we don’t use them, powerful people can walk away without consequences in North Carolina.

Look at what happened in Virginia.

Scott Jenkins, the former sheriff of Culpeper County, was convicted in federal court for straight-up corruption. He sold law enforcement badges for cash — roughly $75,000, paid directly into his pocket. A federal jury found him guilty, and accountability at the federal level was supposed to come next.

Then Donald Trump stepped in and pardoned him before sentencing.

Just like that — erased.

• No prison.

• No accountability.

• No justice.

And here’s the most important part: there were no state charges waiting in the wings. Once the federal case disappeared, that was it. The system had no backup plan.

That’s exactly why the old “defer to the feds” approach doesn’t work anymore.

Another example is my former colleague George Santos. I voted to have Santos expelled from Congress, because of the overwhelming evidence of fraud on his constituents and the American people. He was later convicted of federal fraud and identity theft, and his sentence included over $370,000 in court-ordered restitution to victims he defrauded. That money was supposed to go back to people harmed by his crimes. But Trump’s pardon wiped out both his prison sentence and the obligation to repay those victims. Trump pardons have erased millions of dollars owed to other victims around the country - causing real harm to real people.

These cases show exactly why we can’t just “leave it to the feds” anymore — federal pardons can erase accountability, but state charges, which a Presidential pardon cannot undo, remain one of the strongest tools to protect victims and ensure justice is done during the next three years of the Trump presidency.

The race for Wake County DA matters more than ever.

As Wake County District Attorney, I won’t follow a practice that lets corruption slip through the cracks. If someone breaks the law in North Carolina — and there’s a real risk that a federal case could be wiped away by a Trump pardon — my office will bring state charges.

The Wake County District Attorney investigates and prosecutes all of North Carolina’s political corruption and government malfeasance cases because of our position in the state’s Capital — so this is an election that matters for all North Carolinians. Justice shouldn’t depend on wealth, power, or knowing the right politician. It shouldn’t vanish because of a presidential pardon.

State prosecutors are elected to protect the public — not to look the other way for a system that’s clearly broken. When the rules change, elected leaders — and voters —have to adapt.

I’m running for Wake County District Attorney because I believe no one is above the law — and no one should be able to buy or pardon their way out of accountability.

If that means breaking from “how things have always been done,” so be it. Wake County deserves much better than business as usual.

— Wiley

P.S. If you believe that the law should apply equally to everyone — and that Wake County deserves a District Attorney willing to stand up to corruption and powerful interests — please consider chipping in to our campaign. Donate HERE and help us fight for justice and accountability in Wake County.

P.P.S. I’ll be in the ballot for Wake County DA in the March 3rd Democratic primary. Early Voting starts on February 12th. Visit the Wake County Board of Elections for any questions about voting in Wake County for the Democratic primary.

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Every single day in Wake County, families, friends, neighbors, and loved ones struggle silently — and too often in crisis — with mental health challenges. Whether it’s anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, addiction, or serious mental illness, these conditions affect far too many people in our community and across our state.

This isn’t an abstract problem — it’s real, growing, and demands immediate action.

The Scope of the Crisis

Across North Carolina nearly 1 in 5 adults lives with a mental illness and over half of those individuals go untreated.

There simply aren’t enough mental health professionals — millions live in areas with too few providers to meet the need.

These numbers aren’t just statistics — they represent parents, workers, veterans, students, and neighbors whose struggles have been magnified by economic strain, pandemic aftershocks, and a fractured system that often doesn’t reach those who need help most.

The Problem: Cycling Through a System That Doesn’t Fix the Problem

Too often, people dealing with untreated mental health conditions — including substance abuse — cycle through the criminal justice system without ever getting the treatment or care they need. They may end up in jail or court multiple times for conduct driven by mental illness.

We can and must do better to address crime at the root cause.

What Works: Mental Health Courts

Eight Counties in North Carolina have mental health courts, including Mecklenburg, Forsyth, Guilford, Durham and Orange. Wake County is not on the list.

As your next District Attorney, I’ll create a full-time Mental Health Court for Wake County — a proven, evidence-based alternative to traditional prosecution for nonviolent offenders who are struggling with mental illness.

Mental Health Courts do three critical things:

• Connect people to treatment and support, not just punishment.

• Reduce repeat offenses by addressing the underlying causes of behavior.

• Improve community safety and stability for everyone.

And the data backs this up:

🔹 Research shows that participation in Mental Health Court is associated with a significant reduction in repeat arrests and offenses compared to traditional court processing.

🔹 Participants in Mental Health Courts tend to have longer periods without new criminal charges when compared with similar individuals processed through regular courts.

🔹 The research shows that Mental Health Courts can lead to meaningful reductions in reoffending and better long-term outcomes — especially when the approach is individualized and tied to good treatment.

These courts aren’t soft on crime — they’re smart on crime. They hold participants accountable, but also give them the tools and care they need to rebuild their lives.

A New Vision of Justice for Wake County

As your next Wake County District Attorney, I’ll work to:

✅ Establish a full-time Mental Health Court in Wake County;

✅ Work collaboratively with judges, treatment providers, law enforcement, and community partners to ensure people in crisis get the care they need;

✅ Craft policies that reduce unnecessary incarceration while enhancing public safety;

✅ Promote alternatives that are fair, effective, and fiscally responsible.

This isn’t just a criminal justice reform — it’s a public health strategy that keeps our community safer and stronger.

Why This Matters to Me

I’ve spent my career standing up for people — from defending voting rights in Congress to fighting for fairness in the courtroom right here in Wake County. As a husband and father, I want every child in Wake County to grow up in a community where support and opportunity are more powerful than fear and punishment.

Our justice system shouldn’t be the first place people fall through the cracks. It should be the place where justice actually meets common sense and compassion.

Ending the Silence

This mental health crisis isn’t going away on its own. If we continue business as usual, more people will suffer, more families will be torn apart, and our courts and jails will continue to strain under problems they were never designed to solve.

But there is a different path — a path that leads toward accountability and care, toward justice and healing.

That’s why I’m running for Wake County District Attorney and that’s the Wake County I’m fighting for.

I hope you’ll join me.

— Wiley

P.S. Monthly contributions give us the stability we need to plan ahead and keep sharing our positive message across Wake County. If you’re able, you can become a monthly donor here.

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Where We’re Headed — And Why This Race Matters for Wake County

It’s been an incredibly full few weeks across Wake County. Between speaking with voters, celebrating local election wins, hosting community events, and turning 50 (still can’t believe that one), I’ve been reminded of something simple but important:

People in Wake County care deeply about justice, fairness, and the future of our community. And they want a District Attorney’s office that reflects those values.

That’s exactly why I’m running.

What I’m Hearing Across Wake County

From Apex to Wake Forest to Raleigh, people keep telling me the same thing: they want a justice system that moves faster, treats people fairly, and focuses on real public safety.

And when I talk about the numbers, folks are stunned.

Mecklenburg County — a smaller county than Wake — has more than twice as many prosecutors. More than double. That’s 94 in Mecklenburg County compared to just 43 in Wake County.

That means victims wait years rather than months for justice, fewer resources for law enforcement, and repeat offenders staying on the streets much longer.

Wake County is one of the fastest-growing counties in America, but our District Attorney’s office hasn’t grown with it. We’re handling over 100,000 cases a year with roughly the same number of prosecutors we had 15 years ago.

Our career prosecutors are talented and hardworking — but they’re stretched beyond what’s reasonable. They deserve leadership that will fight to expand the office and cut their caseloads in half. And Wake County families deserve a system where justice doesn’t take years.

Why I’m Running — And Why This Moment Matters

I worked for President Obama during some of his toughest fights. I’ve served in the North Carolina State Senate and in the United States Congress. I’ve written criminal laws, enforced laws, and stood up for people navigating a justice system that doesn’t always treat everyone fairly.

But the decisions that affect your daily lives — the ones that determine whether victims get justice and whether offenders are held accountable — those decisions are made right here at home.

Our next District Attorney needs real experience and real independence. I’ve spent years working in public service, holding the powerful accountable, and defending people who needed someone in their corner. That work has shaped my belief that justice must be fair, consistent, and rooted in facts—not fear or based on your background or zip code. As District Attorney, I’ll make sure our communities are safe, our rights are protected, and our justice system treats everyone with dignity and respect. Wake County deserves nothing less.

Justice, Fairness, and Accountability

When I talk about this race, I always come back to three things:

1. Real Public Safety

Wake County needs more prosecutors to go after violent crime, property theft, and repeat offenders — and we need a DA who will fight every day to secure those resources.

2. Fairness and Respect

Everyone deserves to be treated fairly under the law — whether they’re a victim seeking justice or someone facing criminal charges. I’ve spent more than twenty years practicing law, and I’ve never forgotten that justice must be both firm and fair.

3. Accountability — No one is above the law

Because we’re home to the state capital, the Wake County DA is responsible for investigating and prosecuting political corruption in North Carolina. We need a DA with the independence and backbone to hold the powerful accountable — regardless of party, title, or connections.

At a time when corruption is out in the open and partisan extremists are trying to undermine the rule of law, Wake County needs leadership that won’t look the other way.

Building a Campaign Powered by Community

One of the real joys of this campaign has been showing up in rooms full of energy and hope.

Our kickoff brought more than 150 people together — friends, neighbors, community leaders — all ready to fight for a safer and fairer Wake County. We heard powerful words from former Attorney General Rufus Edmisten, former State Auditor Jessica Holmes, and State Representative Ya Liu.

I’ve also had the privilege of speaking with pastors and congregations about faith, service, and what it really means to lead with integrity. I’m grateful for those conversations — they remind me why this work matters.

And celebrating my 50th birthday with Caroline, Prescott, and Adeline (and so many of you sending messages) was a gift I won’t forget.

What Comes Next

This campaign is growing quickly, and we’re building something strong — but we have a long way to go ahead of the March 3rd Democratic primary.

If you’re looking for ways to help us power the next phase, here are a few that make a big difference:

• Make a donation — every dollar helps us reach more voters

• Host a house party — people love hearing from neighbors

• Put up a yard sign

• Knock on doors or volunteer in any way you can

Wake County is ready for new leadership. And with your support, we’re going to deliver a District Attorney’s office that is effective, fair, and accountable to the people it serves.

Together, We Can Build a Justice System That Works

At every stop on the campaign trail — whether I’m talking with voters at a house party, visiting a local church, or knocking doors — I’m reminded of the same truth:

Wake County deserves a justice system that keeps people safe and treats everyone with dignity.

We can get there. We can build it.

But it’s going to take all of us pulling in the same direction.

Thank you for being part of this movement. Thank you for believing in what’s possible for our community.

Let’s go win this together.

— Wiley

P.S. Monthly contributions give us the stability we need to plan ahead and keep sharing our positive message across Wake County. If you’re able, you can become a monthly donor here.

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Across the country, 2025 has been another bruising year for fair representation.

Republican legislatures have drawn nine new gerrymandered congressional districts in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio. Democrats responded with new maps in California and, just this week, a major court victory in Utah — where a judge struck down a GOP map and restored a Democratic-leaning district.

That brings the 2025 national redistricting “score” to GOP +9, Democrats +6.

It was a small step forward in Utah — but here in North Carolina, we’ve taken a big step backward.

What Happened in North Carolina

Weeks ago, the Republican-led legislature redrew our congressional districts yet again — and this time, they made no attempt to hide their goals. The new maps are engineered to give the GOP 11 of North Carolina’s 14 seats by targeting Congressman Don Davis, whose district in the east was cracked apart to make it nearly impossible for a Democrat to win.

Why did they get away with it? Because the North Carolina Supreme Court flipped four years ago and Chief Justice Paul Newby has turned the court into a rubber stamp for the MAGA agenda.

In 2022, after fair maps briefly restored competitive districts, Republicans won control of the Court and quickly reversed its own 2022 decision that had declared partisan gerrymandering unconstitutional. That opened the door for an extreme redraw — maps drawn to lock in power, not to reflect the will of the voters.

How We Fix It

A Utah court just showed that judicial independence still matters. The same can be true here — if we elect justices who believe voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around.

The path forward is simple, if not easy:

• Re-elect Justice Anita Earls in 2026. She’s been a powerful voice for fairness and accountability. Republicans can’t gerrymander the boundaries of our state. A win for Anita Earls would keep the balance of power at 2 Democrats and 5 Republicans on North Carolina’s Supreme Court.

• Elect three Democrats to the North Carolina Supreme in 2028 and flip the court. The new democratic majority would ensure future maps are fair — not designed to protect one party.

This isn’t about giving Democrats an advantage. It’s about restoring fair maps like the one that elected me in a GOP-leaning district in 2022, where voters actually had a choice.

The Bottom Line

Gerrymandering thrives when people give up. The only way to end it is to vote, organize, and keep showing up for democracy — even when the system feels rigged.

Utah’s win proves that fair maps are still possible.

Now it’s our turn in North Carolina.

Why This Fight Matters Here in Wake County

The fight for fair maps and the fight for justice are deeply connected — both are about protecting the rule of law and ensuring that power is never abused. Our democracy depends on institutions that act with integrity, from the courtroom to the ballot box. It’s a big reason why I’m running for Wake County District Attorney.

In Wake County and across North Carolina, we need public servants who uphold fairness and accountability, not partisanship or political pressure. Whether it’s how we draw our districts or how we enforce our laws, the principle is the same: everyone deserves equal treatment and a voice that counts.

Fair maps decide who writes the laws. Fair and independent leadership ensures those laws are enforced justly. Together, that’s how we protect democracy — here at home and across our state. I hope you’ll join me in that effort. You can stand with our campaign today at wileynickel.com

— Wiley

P.S. A huge piece of our campaign will be powered by monthly contributions. Monthly contributions allow us to get our positive message out to the voters and have a better idea of what’s in our budget each month. If you’re able, you can become a monthly donor here.

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