George Wilmarth Nickel III

Current office and 2026 campaign

George Wilmarth "Wiley" Nickel III is the Democratic candidate for District Attorney of Wake County (Prosecutorial District 10). He won the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026, receiving 49 percent of the vote in a three-candidate race against Melanie Shekita and Sherita Walton. He is running unopposed in the November 2026 general election, as no Republican filed for the seat.

Nickel has stated he is running to "increase support for police and first responders and to make sure our justice system is more fair, more accountable, and more focused on real public safety." He has pledged to prosecute political corruption, establish a full-time mental health court for Wake County, and secure additional funding for the district attorney's office.

Background and education

Nickel was born on November 23, 1975, in Fresno, California. He graduated from Francis W. Parker School in Chicago and earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Tulane University. He received his Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2005.

Career

Nickel worked on Vice President Al Gore's advance staff from 1996 to 2001 and contributed to Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. He established a criminal defense law practice in Cary, North Carolina, in 2011. He served in the North Carolina State Senate representing the 16th district from 2019 to 2023. He then represented North Carolina's 13th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2023 to 2025, choosing not to seek re-election in 2024 following unfavorable redistricting. In April 2025, he launched a campaign for the U.S. Senate but withdrew in July 2025 after former Governor Roy Cooper entered the race. He announced his candidacy for Wake County District Attorney in September 2025.

Family

Nickel married Caroline in 2007 and they have two children.

Sources