The following article was written by Randal Gilliam and paid for by Randal Gilliam for District Attorney General, 31st Judicial District, Teresa Stinson, Treasurer.

Confidence Shaken

The District Attorney General resigned under criminal indictment in October of 2025. Confidence was shaken, and it hasn't returned.

You voted for change in 2022. But relationships with law enforcement broke down, victims weren't treated right, and a backlog of cases kept growing.

My name is Randal Gilliam, and I'm running for District Attorney General to restore confidence in the District Attorney's Office with a fresh start and a new direction.

Three Choices

There are three choices on the ballot.

One goes back to what was voted down in 2022. Going backwards won't restore confidence.

Another keeps the status quo. Too many victims still aren't being treated right. Too many law enforcement officers still don't have the partnership they need. The backlog of cases is still too big. The status quo won't restore confidence either.

A Fresh Start and a Different Path

I offer a different path.

It starts with putting victims first — giving them a voice and the respect they deserve. Victims and their families have rights under Tennessee law — including the right to a speedy trial or disposition. They deserve timely information and a helping hand during the most difficult of times.

It continues by repairing relationships with our law enforcement partners. A rubber stamp from the DA's office on a law enforcement case file doesn't make for a strong case. Law enforcement officers deserve close cooperation as they conduct their investigations. They deserve consultation before serious cases are settled. They deserve a District Attorney's Office that they know will have their cases ready for trial.

Putting victims first and repairing partnerships with law enforcement will build stronger cases. Stronger cases will move faster through our courts, reduce the backlog, and keep our community safe. That is how confidence gets restored.

What Matters in a Candidate for District Attorney General

I'm a Christian. I'm a conservative. I'm a Republican. I'm a husband and a father. Those attributes shape who I am. But alone, they are not enough to demonstrate the qualities necessary to lead the District Attorney's Office.

Every candidate running for District Attorney General can point to years of experience and the common goals of putting drug dealers in prison, offering help to people struggling with addiction who are ready to work toward recovery, and locking up violent offenders.

The issue isn't the experience or the goals — what matters is the skill set, the judgment, and the temperament developed along the way.

I've made the difficult decisions required to successfully prosecute multiple homicides, felony child-abuse cases, and other serious felonies — the most complex cases in criminal law. In a system where prosecutors and defense lawyers go at each other very hard, I've built a reputation among my peers for an even temperament and respect for everyone involved.

Grading Our Homework

In 2013, I attended the inaugural Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference Trial Advocacy School in Memphis. For a week, attendance at every session and courtroom attire were mandatory. Each day's session was followed by homework for the next day. We were videotaped and critiqued during our opening, closing, cross, and direct presentations. A year later, I was invited back as a faculty member. I have returned each year since to teach trial skills to prosecutors from across Tennessee. That invitation was extended in recognition of more than courtroom ability; it recognized the preparation, judgment, and temperament required to lead others.

During this campaign, the candidates have made speeches, appeared on the radio, and presented themselves on social media. Just like that week in Memphis, we have been videotaped and critiqued. Our homework has been on display. Voters can now look beyond the political party, religion, and family ties we share and judge the skill, judgment, and temperament each candidate would bring to the office.

I will bring to the Office of the District Attorney General the same preparation, discipline, judgment, and temperament that I bring to Memphis every year and that you've seen throughout this campaign.

Restoring Confidence

This community deserves a District Attorney General who sets a standard of professionalism, sound judgment, and even temperament. Confidence is restored one decision, one victim, and one case at a time. Victims and law enforcement should be supported, not sidelined. I am that District Attorney General. If you agree, I ask for your prayers, your support, and your vote on August 6.

 The preceding article was written by Randal Gilliam and paid for by Randal Gilliam for District Attorney General, 31st Judicial District, Teresa Stinson, Treasurer.

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