Democrat Deborah Gonzalez won the runoff for District Attorney of the Western Judicial Circuit on Tuesday, made up of Clarke and Oconee Counties, by about 800 votes.
We caught up with her earlier today to ask about what it was like not just running as a Democrat, but as a progressive prosecutor:
"People hear the label progressive and sometimes it can be used to sow fear into others. I use progressive because it allows us to reimagine what prosecution actually looks like. and when we do that, we also see different options in terms of keeping our communities safe and making sure that we have a system that is fair and just for everyone."
Although a swearing-in date isn’t set yet, Gonzalez is already busy, having attended a training for new incoming Georgia DA’s just yesterday.
"I hope to start putting in the foundation that we truly need to have a fair and just system in Athens and Oconee. And that means hoping to get an audit, hoping to take a look at reviewing all the policies and procedures, talking to everyone in the office."
