Issues

Wiley is working to build safer communities where families can thrive. That means holding violent offenders accountable and using smart solutions that cut down on repeat crime. The office’s top priorities are gun violence, drug trafficking, violent crime, and property theft. At the same time, Wiley supports proven drug diversion programs that get nonviolent offenders back on track, and he’s building partnerships with law enforcement, schools, and neighborhood groups to stop crime before it starts.

Our local law enforcement officers work hard every day to keep us safe, and Wiley works just as hard to make sure they have what they need. He’s a countywide voice for giving departments the resources to fully train and staff, keep their best officers, and offer good pay and benefits. Wiley disagrees with those in his party who want to defund the police. He supports programs that build trust between officers and the communities they serve, because public safety means everyone feels safe and welcome.

Protecting women and children is one of the office’s highest priorities. That means taking domestic violence, sexual assault, and crimes against children seriously and making sure victims have a strong voice in the process. Wiley is working to expand victim support services, invest in specialized training for prosecutors who handle these cases, and partner with community groups to prevent abuse before it happens. He also supports tougher penalties for repeat offenders. Every woman and child in Wake County deserves safety, dignity, and justice.

The career prosecutors in this office do great work, but they’re stretched thin. Wake is North Carolina’s largest county, yet it has the most understaffed DA’s office in the state, with just 45 prosecutors and less than 65% of the staff the state’s own formula says we need. Mecklenburg has 95. When the 2026 state budget added 18 new prosecutors across North Carolina, Wake got none. Wiley is pushing state and local leaders to fix that. See the numbers.

Because Raleigh is the state capital, the Wake County District Attorney handles political corruption and government misconduct cases from across North Carolina. Wiley takes that responsibility seriously. These cases are handled professionally, fairly, and by the facts and the law, no matter who’s involved or what party they belong to. No one is above the law.

Every eligible voter deserves to cast a ballot without fear. Voter intimidation, voter suppression, and election interference are crimes, and the office treats them that way. Wiley is committed to protecting the right to vote and the constitutional rights of every person in Wake County.

People should know what their DA’s office is doing and why. The office now has its own website, WakeCountyDA.com, and communicates directly with the public. Wiley regularly visits every town in Wake County, working with law enforcement, local leaders, neighborhood groups, and residents of all ages and backgrounds. Without trust, the justice system can’t work. Building that trust is how we get real public safety.

As a state senator, Wiley wrote legislation to legalize medical marijuana. His father died of cancer and used marijuana illegally in his final days, and that shaped how Wiley sees the issue. The office is developing a policy for how it handles cases involving legitimate medical marijuana users, so its resources stay focused on violent crime and property theft.

Too often, people struggling with mental illness cycle in and out of the justice system without getting the treatment they need. Mental health courts connect nonviolent offenders with care, cut down on repeat offenses, and ease the load on our courts. Wiley is working to create a full-time mental health court. It’s smart on crime and the right thing to do.

Hate crimes, including those targeting our Jewish, Asian American, and Muslim American neighbors, hurt whole communities, not just the people attacked. Wiley is committed to giving these cases the resources and attention they deserve and to supporting law enforcement training so officers can recognize and respond to them.

Guns are now the leading cause of death for American children and teens ages 1 to 19. Wiley is a father of two and knows the fear of sending your kids to school and wondering if they’ll be safe. In Congress, he served on the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and co-sponsored bills to ban assault weapons and ghost guns, require universal background checks, close the gun show loophole, and pass Ethan’s Law on safe gun storage. As District Attorney, he’s made violent gun crime a top priority for the office.