Djuna Perkins of Dedham won the seven-candidate Democratic primary for Norfolk County district attorney Tuesday, Sept. 1, by about 2,500 votes over runner-up Adam Deitch.
The race to replace retiring District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey was not decided until the early hours of Wednesday morning, the Needham Observer reported. Deitch, a former federal prosecutor, conceded around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2, according to the Boston Globe.
Perkins, a former assistant attorney general and assistant district attorney, received about 27,000 votes countywide according to unofficial results as of Wednesday morning. She topped the ticket in more than half of the county's municipalities, finishing with 30.5% of the vote. Deitch placed second at 27.6%. Gregory Connor was the only other candidate in double digits.
Needham and Dedham helped deliver the win. Perkins built a cumulative 5,075-vote advantage over Deitch across Dedham, Brookline, Needham and Wellesley. That northern cluster powered her victory while she held her own in the South Shore population centers of Quincy, Braintree and Weymouth.
"I am ready to get to work and make the transformative change necessary in Norfolk County," Perkins said in a statement Wednesday, Sept. 2. "First, however, we must center our focus on winning the November General Election."
Perkins will face Joseph Pagliarulo, a former state prosecutor from Millis running as a self-funded independent, in the Nov. 3 general election. No Republican filed for the seat.
Morrissey announced in January that he would not seek another term after 16 years. The office handles criminal prosecutions across Norfolk County, south and west of Boston, serving more than 740,000 residents.
The DA race drew national attention because of the office's handling of two high-profile cases. A jury acquitted Karen Read of all charges connected to the death of Boston police officer John O'Keefe. In the Sandra Birchmore case, Morrissey's office filed no criminal charges, though federal investigators have since charged former Stoughton police detective Matthew Farwell in her death.
Auchincloss, Markey cruise in Needham
The Sept. 1 primary drew 7,650 voters in Needham, a 30% turnout. An overwhelming 87% chose the Democratic ballot.
Rep. Jake Auchincloss dominated the Fourth Congressional District Democratic primary, collecting 82.3% of the Needham vote against challenger Jason Poulos of Sherborn. Auchincloss nearly tripled Poulos's total districtwide. He will face Republican Thomas Stalcup of Brookline on Nov. 3.
Sen. Ed Markey won the Needham Democratic Senate primary over Rep. Seth Moulton by a slim 52%-48% margin, about 300 votes locally. Markey's statewide margin was nearly 30 percentage points.
On the Republican side, gubernatorial candidate Michael Minogue defeated Brian Shortsleeve 671-294 in Needham, matching his statewide 3-to-1 margin.
Perkins launched her campaign nearly two years before the primary, becoming the first candidate to enter the race. The Nov. 3 general election will determine Norfolk County's first new district attorney in 16 years.
