Massachusetts › Bristol County › District Attorney, Bristol District
2 candidates are tracked for District Attorney, Bristol District on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Christopher Matthew Markey and Seth Thomas Aitken. Candidate information follows official Bristol County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
An open seat: incumbent Thomas Quinn III is retiring. Democrat Chris Markey and Republican Seth Aitken were each unopposed on September 1 and meet on the November 3 ballot, per the New Bedford Light. This is the rare Massachusetts district attorney contest with candidates from both parties in November.
Christopher Matthew Markey is a state representative from Dartmouth and former Bristol County assistant district attorney who tried murder, rape, and child abuse cases, serving on Beacon Hill since 2011, per the Boston Globe and the New Bedford Light. He entered the race after incumbent Thomas M. Quinn III announced in January 2026 he would not seek a fourth term, per the New Bedford Light.
2026 priorities
- Diverting mentally ill defendants from the criminal justice system, including hiring a full-time forensic psychologist, per the New Bedford Light
- Digital forensic labs in district courts so victims can quickly download cell phone evidence, per the New Bedford Light
- Expanding personnel, training, and mentorship for district court prosecutors, per the New Bedford Light
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-09-02.
Campaign site →
Seth Thomas Aitken is a Fall River attorney, Army veteran, and longtime Swansea resident who served eight years as an Army combat engineer officer, per his campaign site. He served two stints as a Bristol County assistant district attorney, including as a supervisor overseeing Fall River District Court trials, taught trial practice at UMass Dartmouth School of Law, and spent three years as Fall River City Administrator, per his campaign site; he is the first Republican to seek the office since 1974, per the New Bedford Guide.
2026 priorities
- Increasing personnel, resources, and training for district court prosecutors, per his campaign site
- New partnerships with state and federal agencies to target drugs, guns, gangs, and violence, per his campaign site
- A financial-crimes team to pursue public corruption and fraud against businesses and the elderly, per his campaign site
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-09-02.
Campaign site →
