Massachusetts › Suffolk County › District Attorney, Suffolk District
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Decided at the 2026 primary — Kevin R. Hayden won the seat
DECIDED at the September 1, 2026 primary. Kevin R. Hayden won the Democratic contest that decided the office, since no Republican was on the ballot. The Associated Press called it at 11:52 p.m.; unofficial figures put Hayden at 50.8 percent, Linda G. Champion 26.5 and Rachael Rollins 22.7, per GBH and WBUR. Results are unofficial until certified by the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
Winner
Kevin R. Hayden has been Suffolk District Attorney since his 2022 appointment, winning a full term that November, per the Dorchester Reporter via WBUR. He holds most major endorsements in the race, including Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, per the Dorchester Reporter.
2026 priorities
- Experience and independent application of the law, per the Dorchester Reporter via WBUR
- A Public Integrity Unit for police misconduct allegations, per the Dorchester Reporter via WBUR
- Direct engagement with communities across Suffolk County, per the Dorchester Reporter via WBUR
Also ran in the primary
Linda G. Champion
Democratic
Profile
Linda G. Champion is an attorney and former assistant district attorney who worked in the Suffolk office in 2023, per the Dorchester Reporter via WBUR. She is endorsed by the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association, per the Dorchester Reporter.
- Integrity and temperament in the office's leadership, per the Dorchester Reporter via WBUR
- Transparency in police accountability cases, including releasing body camera footage in the Stephenson King shooting, per the Dorchester Reporter via WBUR
- Investigating unlawful releases of records, per the Dorchester Reporter via WBUR
Campaign site →
Rachael Rollins
Democratic
Profile
Rachael Rollins served as Suffolk District Attorney from 2019 to 2022 and then as U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, resigning the federal post in May 2023, per WBUR.
- A more active response to gun violence, per the Dorchester Reporter via WBUR
- Independent investigations of police shootings, citing the Discharge Integrity Team she created in the office, per the Dorchester Reporter via WBUR
- Responsiveness to victims' families seeking answers from the office, per the Dorchester Reporter via WBUR
