N&O endorsement: Our choice in the race for Wake County District Attorney

After serving as Wake County’s top prosecutor since 2014, District Attorney Lorrin Freeman, a Democrat, chose to not seek a fourth term.

No Republican filed to be on the November ballot for the office, so Freeman’s successor effectively will be chosen by the winner of a three-way Democratic primary on March 3.

Freeman, who previously served as Wake County’s clerk of court, has run her office with low-key effectiveness despite a shortage of assistant DAs. She made progress in diverting cases involving drug addiction and mental illness, while taking a hard line on prosecuting those charged with violent crimes.

Now 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 that serves the state’s most populous county and, as it is in the state capital, has the power to prosecute corruption within state government.

Freeman has endorsed Sherita Walton, a former assistant Wake DA, who now serves as a senior associate city attorney for Raleigh and legal adviser to the Raleigh Police Department.

Walton, 48, has solid experience, having served for eight years as a prosecutor in the Manhattan DA’s office before coming to Wake County. Her work with the Raleigh police has made her familiar with both the strengths and flaws of the policing that brings cases to court.

Walton would address not only criminal cases, but would also seek to reduce crime by consulting with community activists, law enforcement officials, criminal justice advocates and youth groups. If elected, she would be Wake County’s first Black district attorney.

Melanie Shekita, 53, is another candidate with strong ties to the Wake County District Attorney’s office. She has served as an assistant DA for 27 years under Freeman and her predecessor, Colon Willoughby, who has endorsed Shekita.

Shekita knows the DA’s office and knows where it can be improved. She says she will focus on reducing violent crime by creating a task force on dangerous offenders and would personally prosecute violent felonies. She wants to develop a “full-fledged” mental health court to break the cycle in which the mentally ill are put in jail, treated, released and then offend again.

While Walton and Shekita have direct experience with the Wake DA’s office, candidate Wiley Nickel would come to the job with a fresh perspective and a broader view.

Nickel, 50, has a strong political background. He worked for President Barack Obama, served two terms as a state senator, served one term in the U.S. House and made an early bid for U.S. Senate before withdrawing after former Gov. Roy Cooper announced he would seek the Democratic nomination.

Nickel’s political experience and ambition would invigorate the DA’s office. He has shown a willingness to press for more resources for the DA’s office. He notes that Mecklenburg County — the state’s second-largest county, behind Wake — has 94 prosecutors while Wake has only 43.

One question about Nickel is his lack of experience in prosecuting cases and managing caseloads. In response, he notes that he created and led a Wake County law firm and oversaw a congressional office. We think his strength in community relations offsets what he lacks in criminal trial experience. The DA is, after all, an elected office that must maintain the trust and confidence of the public.

Most notably, Nickel wants to activate the Wake DA’s dormant role as a prosecutor of political corruption. It may be that contracts, contributions and grants involving state lawmakers and state officials are all above board, but it’s unlikely. The Wake DA needs to respond to media reports and tips about potentially illegal activity within the state government. As DA, Nickel promises he will be vigilant about wrongdoing, regardless of the political party involved.

Nickel also said he will take action if federal agents use the aggressive tactics they’ve employed in Minnesota and elsewhere. “What they’re doing is just random sweeps and terrorizing communities and trampling all over the Constitution,” he said.

The Democratic primary for Wake DA offers three worthy candidates. But 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.

We recommend Wiley Nickel for Wake County district attorney.

This story was originally published February 11, 2026 at 8:33 AM.