Snellville resident and Chief Assistant Solicitor General in Fulton County Andrea Alabi announced her candidacy for Gwinnett County District Attorney in a press conference earlier this week.
If elected, this would make Alabi the second Black district attorney to serve in Gwinnett County.
Alabi oversees one of the largest prosecutorial departments in the State of Georgia. She previously served as Assistant District Attorney in Gwinnett County and began her legal career as a defense attorney.
Alabi was introduced at the press conference by Keaundra Jackson, a Gwinnett County resident whose mother, Erica Powell, was murdered by her husband in 2017 after experiencing years of domestic violence. As a Gwinnett County ADA, Alabi prosecuted Powell’s murderer, receiving a successful homicide conviction.
“We all want the same things— for our children to come home safe every night, to feel protected in our communities, and to have confidence that our elected leaders are doing the right thing,” she said. “But too many people have lost faith in our criminal justice system and the individuals who are leading it. I’m running for District Attorney because we need new leadership in Gwinnett County to tackle gun violence, improve victim advocacy, and build stronger community partnerships to reduce crime.”
Alabi said she chose to run because “it’s time we had a District Attorney with the experience and vision to lead us forward”. She also said Gwinnett County is facing “serious issues” from the epidemic of gun violence to the school-to-prison pipeline.
Alabi is challenging first-term District Attorney Patsy Austin Gatson, whose office has received a barrage of criticism for her mishandling of several high-profile felony cases. WSB-TV recently reported that the conviction rate under Gatson’s tenure has dropped to only 57 percent.
In her career as a defense attorney and prosecutor, Alabi has handled over 1,000 cases and 75 jury trials. She has handled child sexual abuse cases, countless domestic violence cases, and she has never lost a single homicide case.
Alabi also has a 14-year-old son and is a proud graduate of Meadowcreek High School in Norcross and received her juris doctorate from Pennsylvania State University.
For more information on Alabi’s campaign, visit AlabiforDA.com.