Name: J.K. Somers
Party affiliation: Republican
Career: Attorney
Degree: UNC Chapel Hill (BA, Economics); Liberty University School of Law (JD)
Q. What qualifies you to serve as Brunswick County District Attorney?
First, it’s important to clarify that I am running to be the Republican nominee for District Attorney for the 15th Prosecutorial District, which includes Bladen, Columbus, and Brunswick counties.
My qualifications are grounded in deep ties to this community, extensive legal experience, and a clear need for new leadership. I am an experienced attorney who handled more than 400 cases in 2025 alone, spanning criminal, civil, and family law, including both jury and bench trials. That breadth of experience gives me a practical understanding of the challenges facing our community and the leadership needed to address them. My long-standing relationships with community leaders, including law enforcement, enable the collaboration required to strengthen public safety, advocate for victims, and hold offenders accountable. The loss of more than 20 assistant district attorneys in just two years undermines the office’s effectiveness and underscores the urgency for new leadership.
Q. Name one top priority policy change you want to see and how you will work to do so.
My top priority is ensuring victims get justice and criminals face consequences, but we cannot do that if we cannot keep prosecutors on staff. Over the last two years, this office has lost more than 20 assistant DAs. That's unacceptable. When prosecutors leave, cases get delayed, victims wait longer for their day in court, and criminals stay on the streets. I'm already meeting with former prosecutors, law enforcement officers, judges, and citizens to understand what's broken and how to fix it. That includes understanding why people are leaving, ensuring training and support for new staff, establishing clear expectations, and holding everyone accountable. We can and should do better, but that takes acknowledging there’s a serious problem and recognizing that continuing with more of the same means continuing to fail the public.
Q. What is the biggest challenge facing the Brunswick County DA’s office?
Fentanyl and drug trafficking are destroying families and neighborhoods across our district. We need aggressive prosecution of dealers who poison our communities. But drugs fuel other crimes too, including those involving domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse, property theft, and fraud. When we crack down on the drug trade, we make progress on all of these issues that harm our community and threaten our way of life. But the biggest challenge we face is that you can’t prosecute criminals if you don’t have the prosecutors to do it. In the last two years, this office has lost more than 20 assistant district attorneys. Cases get delayed, victims wait for justice, and criminals stay on the streets longer.
Attracting and keeping talented prosecutors to address this avoidable challenge will be my immediate priority. That includes understanding why people are leaving, training and supporting new staff, establishing clear expectations, and holding everyone accountable. Fully staffed and with the right team in place, we can move decisively to protect what makes our community special. The people of this district deserve better, and with focused leadership, we will deliver.
Q. Can you share your approach to setting bonds?
I will protect the public, and that starts with making sure dangerous criminals don’t get back on the streets before trial. While judges ultimately set bonds, as DA I will argue aggressively to keep violent offenders and repeat criminals locked up. Iryna’s Law gave us stronger tools to hold violent offenders accountable. The NC Supreme Court’s Pretrial Release Task Force is reviewing pretrial release statewide for challenges and best practices moving forward. I’ll be watching their recommendations closely, but we also need local input. I plan to bring together law enforcement, judges, community leaders, and citizens from all three counties to develop policies that reflect our values and protect our families. People in this district are tired of seeing the same criminals back on the street committing the same crimes. We need common-sense pretrial release and bond policies that prioritize public safety. As your DA, I'll fight to keep dangerous people behind bars while they await trial. That's how we protect our community.
Q. When it comes to prosecution of drug charges, some DA’s offices are setting cannabis as a lower priority. What will be your approach to drug charges, for cannabis and for other substances?
My focus is to enforce North Carolina law and protect our community. To me that means we go after dealers and traffickers hard, especially those bringing fentanyl and other deadly drugs into our district. These poisoners are destroying lives and fueling crime across our community. They will face the full force of the law. For users, particularly first-time offenders struggling with addiction, we have drug court programs that can help break the cycle. I support these programs because they hold people accountable while giving them a real chance to turn their lives around. That’s smart justice that reduces repeat offenses, promotes public safety, and uses taxpayer resources wisely.
But make no mistake, I will prosecute dealers and traffickers to the maximum extent of the law. My priority is stopping the flow of poison into our neighborhoods and keeping drugs out of our neighborhoods. That's how we protect families and save lives.
Q. New Hanover County has a few specialty courts for community empowerment, community recovery, and for veterans. Should these courts be more common, and would you move to implement them in Brunswick County?
Brunswick County has a drug court that's working by combining accountability with community resources for treatment to break the cycle of addiction. I support that approach. Before we add new programs, however, we have to fix some basic issues that affect our core functions. This office has lost more than 20 prosecutors in two years. My priority is stabilizing the office by addressing staffing issues while prosecuting cases effectively. I believe we can absolutely do more to serve our communities, but we must get a handle on core functions and staffing before adding new programs. Once we have that foundation, then we can look at bringing additional, proven programs that protect our community while using taxpayer resources wisely.
Q. SBI investigations can be lengthy, limiting clarity about issues of public interest. How can you, as DA, work to expedite the processes?
The public deserves answers and victims deserve justice, but we also must get it right and that can take time. Rushing investigations leads to bad prosecutions and criminals walking free on technicalities. That said, there's no excuse for unnecessary delays. As DA, I'll work closely with the SBI and local law enforcement to identify bottlenecks and work proactively to fix them. That means regularly sharing information and setting and meeting clear expectations to ensure our office isn't a cause of avoidable delays.
I'll also meet with law enforcement, judges, victims, and community leaders to understand where the system is falling short and what we can do better to support them. If there are internal processes slowing things down, we'll fix them. The people of this district shouldn't have to wait months or years for closure on cases that affect public safety. We can do better and we will.
Q. NC State statute allows reporters to have cameras in courtrooms, but it is subject to the judge’s discretion. There are situations in District 15 where judges do not allow cameras or recording devices in court. What is your stance on opening all courtrooms (aside of federal courts) in your district to allow for journalists to cover trials and other court proceedings?
Judges control their courtrooms and I respect their authority to set rules on cameras and recording devices. Transparency and justice go hand in hand, but cameras aren't required for transparency. Journalists can and should still cover trials and report to the public. For me, victim protection comes first. In cases involving child victims, sexual assault, or witness intimidation, judges rightfully limit media access to protect the vulnerable. I will always support those protections.
Transparency provides accountability and the public has a right to know what's happening in the justice system. I'm committed to working with the media to keep our community informed about public safety and prosecutions balanced by protecting victims' rights and ensuring fair trials.