In Fulton County, Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee won re-election for another four-year term, defeating challenger Robert Patillo. McAfee is currently presiding over the election interference case involving former President Donald Trump and 18 co-conspirators. The defendants, who have all pleaded not guilty, face charges of attempting to overturn Georgia’s election results. McAfee, the youngest judge on the circuit, campaigned on clearing the COVID case backlog, providing a path forward for nonviolent offenders, and holding violent offenders accountable. Patillo, a defense attorney and community advocate, ran on a platform of bringing competency, compassion, and change to the court. Tiffani Johnson, another candidate, was disqualified due to residency issues.
The election was quickly called in favor of McAfee by the Associated Press within an hour of the polls closing. McAfee, a Republican appointed by Governor Brian Kemp, has a background as a state and federal prosecutor handling major cases. Earlier this year, he made headlines regarding a ruling on the grand jury indictments of Trump and his associates. McAfee ruled that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis created an appearance of impropriety by appointing a romantic interest to head the prosecution. The Georgia Court of Appeals could still review McAfee’s ruling and potentially remove Willis from the case.
Campaign finance reports show that McAfee raised over $327,000 for his re-election bid, while Patillo raised about $11,800 and Johnson raised approximately $17,000 before being disqualified. McAfee’s re-election comes after Chief Judge Christopher Brasher retired from the Fulton County Superior Court. Brasher ran unopposed in previous races and received a high percentage of votes. Turnout for early voting in recent elections has been high, with record-breaking numbers in both the 2018 and 2022 general elections.
The primary election in Fulton County saw a high number of ballots cast, with both in-person and early voting totaling over half a million ballots. McAfee, being the youngest judge on the circuit, emphasized his plans to address the COVID case backlog, offer rehabilitation for nonviolent offenders, and hold violent offenders accountable. Patillo, a defense attorney, focused on bringing competence, compassion, and change to the court. The election also saw Tiffani Johnson as a candidate, who was later disqualified for residency issues. McAfee, appointed by Governor Kemp, has a background as a prosecutor and garnered significant campaign funding for his re-election bid.
Overall, McAfee’s victory in the primary election secures his position on the bench for another four years. His handling of high-profile cases, including the election interference case involving former President Trump, has been a focal point of his campaign. McAfee’s platform of addressing the backlog, offering rehabilitation, and ensuring accountability in the justice system resonated with voters, leading to his re-election. The turnout in the primary election, with a record number of early and in-person votes cast, indicates an engaged electorate in Fulton County. With McAfee’s continuation on the bench, the focus now shifts towards addressing the pending cases and priorities outlined in his campaign platform.
