Rachael Rollins qualifies for ballot in Suffolk DA race, in a bid to reclaim her old job

Rachael Rollins, formerly Suffolk County District Attorney and U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, has qualified for the ballot to get her old DA job back.

Rollins, who resigned as Massachusetts' top federal prosecutor under pressure in 2023, is challenging current DA Kevin Hayden in the Democratic primary.

Hayden was appointed DA in 2022, after Rollins left to become the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts. Later that year, he won a bruising primary against then-Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo.

It was that race, and Rollins' meddling in it, that led to her leave her federal post. Two separate investigations found she had abused her authority by leaking privileged Department of Justice information about investigations into Hayden, in order to help her preferred candidate, Arroyo.

Rollins' audacious return to the political stage surprised many in the state. She was publicly reprimanded by the state Board of Bar Overseers in 2025 and admitted to improperly disclosing confidential information to reporters.

Also running for Suffolk County DA is Linda Champion, who formerly worked for Hayden and ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2018, when Rollins won.

In a video posted to social media Tuesday, Rollins said, "now the work begins."

"We're going to bring Suffolk County DA's office back to the community," she said. "Were going to be open and transparent ... and we're going to continue innovating because that's what justice requires."

When Rollins was first elected to the DA's office, she was billed as one of the most progressive district attorneys in the nation. She rose to prominence after announcing her office would decline to prosecute more than a dozen low-level crimes. Research found that policy may have led to less crime overall.