Kalki Yalamanchili

Kalki Yalamanchili, District Attorney of the Western Circuit

2025 – present

Kalki Yalamanchili (I) is the District Attorney of the Western Circuit, which includes both Athens-Clarke and Oconee Counties.

Yalamanchili’s campaign website
Western Circuit District Attorney’s website

Signature Issues

Rebuild the Reputation of the DA’s Office – Yalamanchili harshly criticized his 2024 opponent, incumbent District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez, for failing to adequately staff her office with competent, well-trained prosecutors. He said the low staffing levels and lack of training resulted from her “failure of leadership,” which drove away attorneys who might otherwise have sought employment in the Western Circuit. He said he will begin an in-house training program if elected to start rebuilding the office’s reputation.

Prosecute Criminals More Effectively – During his 2024 campaign, Yalamanchili said that criminals will be “put on notice” that they will no longer be able to “to use an ineffective DA’s office to their advantage” if he was elected.

Protect the Rights of Victims – Yalamanchili also criticized Gonzalez for failing to “honor the rights of victims,” claiming that the Marsy’s Law violations in Gonzalez’s office that have made headlines are but “the tip of the iceberg.” He pledged that, if elected, “victims in this circuit [will] have an office that will seek justice for them with competency and compassion.”

Party Affiliation

Yalamanchili typically votes Republican, although not exclusively. He is supported by the conservative group Athens Classic and associated PACs. Yalamanchili’s campaign is being run by Classic City Campaigns, LLC, a group created by Jordan Chinouth, a Republican political operative and former aide to Paul Broun, Kelly Loeffler and other Republican politicians.

Endorsements

Yalamanchili had a large number of endorsements from across the political spectrum.

Many Democrats publicly endorsed him, including Mayor Kelly Girtz and ACC Commissioners Allison Wright, Dexter Fisher and Mike Hamby. He also had the support of Republicans, including ACC Commissioner John Culpepper, Mayor Brian Broderick of Watkinsville and John Daniel, Chair of the Board of Oconee County Commissioners.

Interviews and Media

Yalamanchili did an interview with APN on September 18, 2024:

Yalamanchili spoke at a meeting of the Athens GOP in November 2023:

Tim Bryant interviewed Yalamanchili in January 2024:

Election Results