District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies defeated a primary challenger in her re-election bid
Alec Baldwin dodges questions about involuntary manslaughter trial
Alec Baldwin gives no answer when asked if he's planning to testify in his "Rust" involuntary manslaughter trial. (Dario Alequin for Fox News Digital)
The New Mexico district attorney who prosecuted actor Alec Baldwin over his 2021 fatal movie-set shooting has defeated her Democratic primary challenger to advance to the November general election.
As of Tuesday night, Mary Carmack-Altwies had garnered 62% of the vote, while 38% voted for her opponent and former boss, Marco Serna. Carmack-Altwies serves in New Mexico's heavily Democratic First Judicial District, comprised of Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Los Alamos Counties.
Serna, a Democrat, previously held the district attorney seat from 2017 to 2020, but didn’t seek re-election until challenging Carmack-Altwies.
Carmack-Altwies, the liberal district attorney who oversaw Baldwin's indictment for involuntary manslaughter charges, withdrew from the "Rust" shooting case three months before the trial was scheduled to begin. She announced two other attorneys, Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis, would serve as "special prosecutors."
"As I celebrate tonight with my family, I couldn’t be more honored to have the trust of voters in JD1," Carmack-Altwies said in a statement obtained by KRQE. "I have worked tirelessly over the last three and a half years to professionalize the office of the District Attorney, to bring justice and safety to our communities."
First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies for the state of New Mexico speaks during a press conference at the Santa Fe County Public Safety Building (Sam Wasson / Stringer)
At the time, it was announced Carmack-Altwies would step aside from prosecuting the case to "focus on the broader public safety needs in New Mexico's First Judicial District."
The district attorney added, "My responsibility to the people of the First Judicial District is greater than any one case, which is why I have chosen to appoint a special prosecutor in the 'Rust' case."
ALEC BALDWIN SCORES WIN IN ‘RUST’ FATAL SHOOTING CASE AS DA DROPS FIREARM ENHANCEMENT
Alec Baldwin. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP)
The former "30 Rock" star was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter on Jan. 31 in connection to the death of Halyna Hutchins in October 2021. He pleaded not guilty.
Hutchins was killed on the New Mexico set of the Western film, and director Joel Souza was wounded by a bullet when live ammunition was accidentally loaded into a weapon fired by Baldwin while rehearsing a scene in a church on Oct. 21, 2021. Baldwin has since denied he pulled the trigger of the gun that killed Hutchins.
ALEC BALDWIN'S LAWYER HITS BACK AFTER ACTOR NAMED AS 'POSSIBLE DEFENDANT' BY DA IN 'RUST' CASE
An election worker arrives with ballots to be tabulated inside. ((AP Photo/Matt York))
Prosecutors dropped the firearms enhancement originally brought against Baldwin in February 2023, as Carmack-Altwies filed the paperwork.
Fox News' Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
Jamie Joseph is a writer who covers politics. She leads Fox News Digital coverage of the Senate.
