Middlesex DA Marian Ryan will retain control of her seat after defeating a Democrat primary challenge from her former prosecutor colleague David Solet.
As of around 10:40 p.m. Tuesday, the Ryan campaign declared victory, with Solet calling to concede the race minutes before. With no Republican challenger, Ryan is set to move onto the November election as the presumptive winner.
“I am deeply grateful to the people of Middlesex County for once again placing their trust in me to serve as their District Attorney,” Ryan said late Tuesday night. “Thank you to the extraordinary coalition that made this victory possible: elected leaders, unions, former law enforcement leaders, advocates, working families, volunteers, and voters from every corner of Middlesex County.”
Ryan, Massachusetts’ only female district attorney, has held the office since 2013. In her reelection campaign Ryan highlighted Middlesex’s record as “one of the safest large counties in America,” citing her work within the opioid crisis, domestic violence prevention, immigrant outreach and more.
Solet said his long experience within the DA’s office under Ryan pushed him to run, citing the need for “change” amongst prosecutorial practices. The candidate served on the department’s Cold Case Homicide Unit from 2019 to 2025, securing Middlesex County Prosecutor of the Year in 2025, and cited endorsements from over 40 law enforcement and public safety organizations.
Ryan had signed a pledge to reject endorsements from police unions ahead of the campaign, citing a conflict of interest.
The incumbent called herself a “proven progressive” and made the case that her opponent would lean the office in a more conservative direction during the campaign. During her DA tenure, she initially blocked ICE in court from making civil immigration arrests in Massachusetts before the decision was overturned and advocated for criminal justice reforms, including drug and young adult diversion programs and ditching of cash bail for low-level non-violent offenses.
In her victory statement, Ryan thanked Solet “for putting himself forward as a candidate.”
“I’ve also built this Office to keep serving our citizens well into the future,” said Ryan. “We opened a Cold Case Unit for families still waiting for answers, a Conviction Integrity Unit to hold our own work accountable, and a Director of Racial Justice Initiatives to better inform the way our Office operates. That work doesn’t stop tonight. It continues.”
Solet, who awaited election results with supporters Tuesday night at Althea’s in Cambridge, said though they didn’t have “complete numbers, but we have enough numbers to know this is not our night.”
“For us, this race started with us at zero,” Solet said in a statement also around 10:40 p.m. “We had no name recognition, no people, no money, no office. We committed ourselves to raise important issues, and won the support of tens of thousands of people across Middlesex County. We’re proud of the race we ran, and thankful for the support of The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and more than 50 police, fire and labor unions who represent the working men and women who help protect our communities.”
Solet added he plans to “capitalize on the support we earned and get back to work tomorrow to continue raising these issues to fight for the changes we championed during this campaign.”
Ryan also looked ahead in her remarks.
“Tomorrow, I get back to work, leading this office with independence, compassion, common sense, and an unwavering commitment to keeping you safe,” Ryan stated. “It remains the honor of my professional life to serve as your District Attorney.”
Original article
Comments