Dedham resident Djuna Elizabeth Perkins is one of seven Democrats on the ballot for Norfolk County District Attorney in the Sept. 1 primary, a race that will determine who prosecutes crimes in both Needham and Dedham for years to come.

The seat is open for the first time in 16 years. Outgoing District Attorney Michael Morrissey, first elected in 2010, announced in January he would not seek reelection. No Republican filed. The primary winner will face independent Joe Pagliarulo of Millis in the Nov. 3 general election.

The race has drawn significant campaign fundraising and intense public attention, driven largely by the office's handling of two high-profile cases. Under Morrissey, the office faced criticism after Karen Read was acquitted following two trials and for not charging Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell in Sandra Birchmore's death; federal prosecutors later indicted Farwell for murder, according to CBS News Boston.

The local candidate

Perkins, of Dedham, has practiced law for decades, including stints as an Assistant Attorney General and as an Assistant DA in Suffolk County, where she led the Domestic Violence Unit. (Her exact years of practice are reported differently across sources — one university profile put it at 25 years in state courts — and her precise age could not be independently confirmed for this story.) She has said the Sandra Birchmore case motivated her to run and that she was the first candidate to enter the race, before Morrissey announced his departure, according to a letter from Medfield residents published in Patch endorsing her candidacy. That letter does not include a direct quotation from Perkins herself explaining her decision in those specific words; the paraphrase that "the Sandra Birchmore case is what ultimately motivated Djuna to run" is what the letter states.

She has proposed establishing formal conflict-of-interest and police misconduct reporting policies and conducting a full audit of the DA's office. Perkins has endorsements from former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger and former Suffolk County DA Ralph Martin; an additional endorsement from State Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Creem could not be independently confirmed for this story. Specific fundraising totals cited for Perkins and the rest of the field come from Brookline.News campaign finance reporting, which could not be independently re-accessed to verify the exact figures at time of publication.

The rest of the field

  • Adam W. Deitch (Quincy): Former federal prosecutor, fundraising leader among the declared totals. The Boston Globe editorial board endorsed Deitch on Aug. 17, calling him "the candidate best equipped" to restore public faith in the office. The Globe also called Perkins and Macy Lee "certainly other highly qualified candidates in the race."
  • Gregory P. Connor (Milton): 25-year veteran of the Norfolk DA's office who rose to head the homicide division before resigning in March 2026 to run.
  • Robert Louis Jubinville (Milton): Former Governor's Council member, criminal defense attorney and former clerk-magistrate; reported figures on his tenure length and self-funding share could not be independently confirmed for this story.
  • Macy Lee (Milton): Director of the Board of Hearings at the state Office of Medicaid, former Suffolk County ADA. Endorsed by the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association.
  • Craig J. MacLellan (Cohasset): Criminal defense attorney, former prosecutor and Cohasset School Committee member.
  • Jim Barakat (Braintree): Public defender who has called for expanding diversion programs; has raised comparatively little, citing ethical restrictions tied to his public-employee role.

How to vote

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 1. Early in-person voting runs through Friday, Aug. 28. Vote-by-mail applications must reach the town clerk by Tuesday, Aug. 25. Completed mail ballots must arrive by 8 p.m. on Election Day — there is no grace period for ballots postmarked but not received by then.

Unenrolled voters may choose the Democratic ballot without changing their party enrollment.