Wake county da plans to not seek re-election

Lorrin Freeman, the Wake County District Attorney, has announced that she will not run for reelection after more than a decade in office. Her current term will conclude in December 2026. A Democrat, Freeman made history as the first female district attorney when she was elected in 2014.

As the leading prosecutor in North Carolina's largest county, she has managed several notable cases. In January, her office chose not to pursue 180 DWI cases linked to two troopers from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, citing concerns over their credibility. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is currently examining the troopers' actions related to a fatal crash in Raleigh last October.

Additionally, Freeman conducted an investigation into the campaign of fellow Democrat Gov. Josh Stein, who was the state attorney general at the time. This case revolved around political libel laws during the 2020 campaign against Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill, but Freeman halted the investigation in 2023 after an appeals court suggested the law might be unconstitutional.

She also looked into the use of state vehicles by then-Treasurer Dale Folwell, a Republican, but that inquiry concluded in January without any charges being filed.

We will keep this story updated as we gather more details about who intends to succeed her.