(Photo : Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 14: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks during a news conference at the Fulton County Government building on August 14, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. A grand jury today handed up an indictment naming former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies over an alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election results in the state.
When Georgia Democrats head to the polls on Tuesday, they'll be voting in an unusually high profile primary election - as Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis faces challenger Christian Wise Smith.
UPDATE: Here are the primary election results
There is limited polling available in this race, as is common with state-level primaries for less prominent roles. However, the polling that does exist indicates that Willis will retain the Democratic nomination, heading into the general election.
In late April, Georgia-based political consultant Fred Hicks polled 1,000 Democratic voters in the Peach State. An overwhelming 79% of voters said that they planned to vote for Willis, while just nine percent planned to vote for Wise Smith.
Wise Smith is an attorney and the founder of the National Social Justice Alliance. The organization brings prosecutors from across the United States together to "end police brutality," according to his website.
Willis, 52, rose to national prominence for her criminal investigation in former President Donald Trump's alleged attempts to interfere with the 2020 presidential election. Her office indicted Trump and 18 others on a slew of felony charges - including lying to state officials, harassing election workers and engaging in a cover-up.
Willis was almost immediately the target of right-wing criticism, with Trump describing her as a "rabid partisan" who indicted the former president and his associates based on "fabricated accusations."
Earlier this year, Willis was subject to scrutiny after one of the defendants in the election interference case filed a motion to dismiss the indictment and disqualify Willis' office, based on her having a conflict of interest. The motion was based on Willis' past romantic relationship with lead prosecutor Nathan Wade. A judge ruled that Willis did not have a financial conflict of interest but decided that either Wade or Willis would have to leave the case - prompting Wade to resign.
This primary comes as Trump is waiting to hear the results of one of his other criminal cases. In Manhattan, the former president is facing several felony charges due to his role in allegedly paying off adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
