NORFOLK, Va. — Longtime federal prosecutor John Butler announced his candidacy Saturday to challenge first-term incumbent Ramin Fatehi for the commonwealth’s attorney’s office in Norfolk.
According to his campaign website, Butler, 46, is calling for a return to professionalism and a depoliticization of the office. He will face Fatehi in the Democratic primary scheduled for June 17, with early voting set to begin on May 2.
Butler recently concluded his tenure as the managing assistant U.S. attorney in the Norfolk division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He previously served as an assistant to then-Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, worked in private legal practice, and held the position of judge advocate general in the Navy. He is currently a commander in the Navy Reserves Judiciary Unit.
Commonwealth's Attorney Fatehi released the following statement to News 3 Sunday afternoon:
"I am proud of the work of my team of 85 people has done over the last three years. We have implemented real criminal justice reforms to make the system more fair while making us more safe, all in the face of fierce opposition from a handful of elites who want to call the shots from the shadows. Violent crimes and homicides are down 40%. Property crime is down 25%. My office is fully staffed. We must keep moving forward. We do not need a Trump-hired federal prosecutor to turn the clock back in Norfolk."
