GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — To little surprise, Danny Porter is seeking reelection as District Attorney of Gwinnett County. However, it may surprise some that he's running as a Republican.
In May last year, Porter told 11Alive that he was considering a run as a Democrat.
The Republican was Gwinnett County’s top vote-getter in 2016. He has been the county’s district attorney since 1992.
"Over the past 27 years, I have enjoyed bipartisan support from the voters as a Republican candidate and intend to run again as a Republican," he said Tuesday in a statement.
He previously told 11Alive News that “I'm not much of a politician, so I have people I rely on - my friends and family.”
Porter said he wants to win one more term to the DA’s office in 2020 before he retires. But Porter is running in a county where politics and demographics have tilted over the last 10 years.
Republicans solidly controlled Gwinnett County during Porter’s tenure, even naming a new highway after Ronald Reagan. But in 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton easily won more votes in the presidential election than Republican Donald Trump. Republicans also saw several Gwinnett seats in the legislature flip from the Republican to the Democratic side in the last two elections.
Regardless, Porter said he hopes voters look beyond party to results.
"I look forward to presenting my record of innovation, accomplishment and experience in the areas of victims’ rights, criminal justice reform, and innovative prosecution strategies in comparison to the ideas and record of the announced Democratic candidate," he said.
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