Former Rep. Wiley Nickel to run for Wake DA seat

• Nickel will likely be the most well-funded candidate in the race, and he'll have the strongest name recognition.
• Two other Democrats have made plans to run, including Melanie Shekita, an assistant district attorney for Wake County and Sherita Walton, an attorney for the city of Raleigh.

Driving the news: Nickel, who until former Gov. Roy Cooper's entrance was running for U.S. Senate, told Axios he decided to run to be Wake County's chief prosecutor because he wants to push back on political corruption and bring more resources to fight crime in Wake County.

What they're saying: "We're not just the state's largest county ... but in Wake County, we've also got the state capital," he told Axios.

• "The Wake DA is in charge of political corruption cases, investigations, (and) government malfeasance. It's an incredibly important job for our state, and that's a place where I'm also going to be laser-focused on tackling political corruption."
• When Freeman was in office, she faced criticisms from some Democrats for pursuing a criminal investigation into an advertisement that then-Attorney General Josh Stein's campaign ran against his opponent. (A judge ultimately ruled in favor of Stein's campaign.)

Zoom in: Nickel, a former defense attorney in Cary, added that it is pivotal that the county's next district attorney brings more resources for law enforcement and addresses substance abuse and mental health disorders in the community.

• He noted that despite being the largest county, Wake's DA office only has 43 prosecutors on staff. Mecklenburg County's District Attorney's office, on the other hand, has 85. (Wake's per capita violent crime rate has typically been lower than Mecklenburg's, however.)
• He said he would lean on his experience in Washington and at the N.C. General Assembly to bring in more resources for prosecutors.
• Nickel's campaign will focus on the opioid epidemic and the mental health crisis, "the root causes of crime," he said. "We have to do much more to address those issues before they fester and become horrible crimes, like we saw in Charlotte. And that's about resources. That's about making sure we invest in mental health care and substance abuse treatment and smart policies."

The other side: Nickel enters the race with many endorsements, including the mayors of Cary, Morrisville and Durham.

• However, outgoing District Attorney Freeman is not one of them. She noted his lack of prosecutorial experience and large campaign funds as her reasons against backing him.

What they're saying: Freeman said she is grateful for Nickel's service, but that it concerns her that "he thinks the District Attorney's position is one that can be bought," a reference to Nickel's funding advantage.

• "Wake County voters have previously rejected candidates whose only criminal justice system experience is being a criminal defense attorney. I wish he would focus his efforts where his heart seems to be, which is in fighting gerrymandering," she added.
• Freeman added that she has been impressed with Walton's work in Wake County.

In response, Nickel noted he's been an attorney for a long time and practiced in the courthouse.

• He says he believes his strength will be in doubling the size of the office and attracting the resources it needs.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Nickel is a former (not practicing) defense attorney.