Steve Monks, Durham Republican county chairman and a local criminal defense lawyer, announced Wednesday that he will run as an unaffiliated write-in candidate for Durham district attorney in November.
The announcement comes after County Commissioner Lewis Cheek said July 27 that he would neither campaign for the job nor serve if elected.
"What's in the box is unacceptable to me," said Monks, a Houston native. "I want to know who the DA is going to be and not let someone else decide."
Monks said he has the experience and abilities to take on the three main obligations of district attorney, which include prosecuting cases, managing an office and communicating efficiently with others.
"It's not the Duke lacrosse case," he said. "It's the behavior and the actions involved in the case that caused me not only to be concerned about this particular case but the office in general and their ability to handle other cases."
A vote for Cheeks might turn into a vote for Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong, said Charlotte Woods, Steve Monks' campaign manager.
"The very main thing is that regardless of political affiliation, race or color here, voters should be voting for their own district attorney," Woods said.
Unlike Cheek, Monks did not receive the 6,300 voter signatures needed to get his name on the ballot early July.
Within a week after deciding to run as a write-in candidate, however, Monks said he has doubled the amount of money raised for his campaign back in June.
He expects to reach the $50,000-minimum campaign funding with promises and insurances he has received from fundraisers and supporters.
"If I didn't get the quick response, I wouldn't have wasted the time," he said.
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