Middlesex County, Massachusetts

District Attorney, Northern District (Middlesex)

What this office does

District attorney or prosecutor. The district attorney is the chief prosecutor for the county or judicial district. The office decides which criminal charges to file, negotiates pleas, tries cases and, in many states, advises county government or handles child support and juvenile matters. The office sets local charging and diversion policies within state law.

This race. The sitting officeholder, Marian T. Ryan, is on the ballot.

Massachusetts › Middlesex County › District Attorney, Northern District (Middlesex)

Decided at the 2026 primary: Marian T. Ryan won the seat

DECIDED at the September 1, 2026 primary. Marian T. Ryan won the Democratic contest that decided the office, with no Republican running. David Marc Solet conceded between 10:30 and 11 p.m., saying the numbers were incomplete but sufficient; Ryan took 72 percent in Newton on unofficial results, per the Boston Globe, the Harvard Crimson and Fig City News. The Associated Press did not call this race and no districtwide totals have been published. Results are unofficial until certified by the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

Winner

Marian T. Ryan

Democratic Incumbent

Top priorities

Not requesting cash bail in low-level nonviolent cases
Juvenile, young adult, and drug diversion plus restorative justice programming
Opposing mandatory minimum sentences while prosecuting the county's most violent cases

Per Axios Boston.

Biography

Marian T. Ryan has been Middlesex District Attorney since 2013 and is a career trial and appellate prosecutor seeking a fourth term, per the Waltham Times. She runs on cash bail reform for low-level offenses, diversion programs, and her refusal to back mandatory minimums, per Axios Boston.

Also ran in the primary

David Marc Solet

Democratic

Top priorities

A dedicated crime gun unit targeting illegal firearms trafficking
Closing statute of limitations loopholes for cold-case sexual assault victims
Tougher pretrial detention rules for the most serious offenders

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Solet is a prosecutor with 24 years of experience who led the Middlesex County Cold Case Homicide Unit from 2019 to 2025 and was named Middlesex County Prosecutor of the Year in 2025; he has also served as a juvenile and domestic violence prosecutor and as Chief Legal Counsel to the Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety, per the campaign site.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Next on your ballotRegister of Probate, Middlesex County

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Questions about this race

Who is running for District Attorney, Northern District (Middlesex) in 2026?

The District Attorney, Northern District (Middlesex) race was decided at the 2026 primary - Marian T. Ryan won the seat - and does not appear on the November 3, 2026 ballot. 2 candidates were on the primary ballot: Marian T. Ryan and David Marc Solet. Candidate information follows official Middlesex County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the District Attorney, Northern District (Middlesex) election in Massachusetts?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Massachusetts are on the Massachusetts election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Middlesex County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Middlesex County and state election office filings, last verified September 29, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Massachusetts election office, or see the full Middlesex County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Middlesex County ballot

59 tracked races in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on your ballot

Massachusetts Senate, Fifth Middlesex District Massachusetts Senate, First Essex and Middlesex District Massachusetts Senate, First Middlesex District See all 59 Middlesex County races

Candidate profiles

Marian T. Ryan, full profile David Marc Solet, full profile Official Massachusetts election office