New Challenge for Judge in Trump Georgia Case: His Own Election

Judge Scott McAfee has been campaigning at a dizzying pace ahead of the May 21 primary election. All while presiding over a sprawling election interference case against Donald Trump.

There are many reasons to believe that former President Donald J. Trump will not be going to trial in Georgia anytime soon. A controversy involving sex, money and the district attorney has slowed down the election interference case. Dozens of pretrial motions have yet to be resolved, and the United States Supreme Court and the Georgia Court of Appeals must still weigh in on key legal questions.

While it may not create nearly as much drag on the proceedings, there is also the fact that the presiding judge is busy running for election.

Very busy.

In the last few weeks, Judge Scott McAfee of Fulton Superior Court has been on a dizzying tour of the Atlanta area in an effort to hold on to his job — and in so doing, hold on to the Trump case, one that could eventually secure the judge’s place in the annals of history. Since early March, he has, by his own count, attended more than 30 campaign-related events, including three fund-raisers, three candidate forums, seven church services and a parade.

In a recent interview, Judge McAfee, 34, said that campaigning was “delaying every aspect” of his job. And while he enjoys many advantages over his rivals — as an incumbent in a down-ticket election whose work on the Trump case has earned him broad name recognition — he said he has no choice but to give the race his all. Losing the election, after all, would mean turning over the case, a complex racketeering prosecution with 15 defendants, to a new judge.

“It takes a lot of time,” he said. “I mean, I’ve to go get my message out there.”