Candidate fields widen in Suffolk races

Rachael Rollins

Another week, another few names in contention for a busy election season in Suffolk County.

Rachael Rollins, of Roxbury, former chief legal council for Massport and former Assistant US Attorney, pulled papers March 9 to seek the open Suffolk County district attorney post. District Attorney Dan Conley announced last month that he would not run for re-election.

Rollins joins the race to face off with three other Democrats openly running so far: state Rep. Evandro Carvalho, of Dorchester; Greg Henning, of Dorchester, who led the Suffolk district attorney’s office gang unit and has worked in the office for about a decade; and Shannon McAuliffe, of the North End, who was director of Chelsea-based Roca, which works with gang-involved youth.

Still mulling a run are Boston City Councillor At-Large Michael Flaherty, of South Boston, and Mayor Martin Walsh's chief legal counsel Eugene O'Flaherty, of Charlestown.

Henning turned in over 1,600 signatures at City Hall on Thursday, his campaign said. Carvalho this week touted endorsements from state Reps Jay Livingstone of Beacon Hill, Liz Malia of Jamaica Plain, Mike Moran of Brighton, Jeffrey Sanchez of Jamaica Plain, and Chynah Tyler of Roxbury a week after former US Attorney for Massachusetts, Wayne A. Budd, was announced as Carvalho’s campaign chair.

In the Fifth Suffolk District, up for grabs after Carvalho decided not to pursue the First Suffolk Senate seat in favor of the district attorney post, five interested parties have pulled papers.

Darrin D’Wayne Howell, a Dorchester resident, former staffer for the-City Councillor Chuck Turner and political organizer at the 1199SEIU healthcare workers union, pulled papers Wednesday, according to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office. Howell sought the Sixth Suffolk seat, won by state Rep. Russell Holmes, in 2010. In an interview with the Boston Globe in March 2017, Howell said he may seek elected office again.

Other names in contention for the Fifth Suffolk: Democrats Ceferina Murrell, Brad Howze, and Roy Owens and unenrolled candidate Steven A. Wise.

And in the 12th Suffolk District, representing Mattapan and parts of Milton, currently held by state Rep. Dan Cullinane, Jovan Lacet of Mattapan has pulled papers for the House seat. Cullinane faced Lacet in 2016, winning the race and defending his seat in 2016 with 54 percent of the vote to Lacet's 34 percent.

State Rep. Nick Collins, of South Boston, is running unopposed in the April 3 Democratic primary for the First Suffolk Senate seat left vacant by Linda Dorcena Forry. He will face unenrolled candidates Althea Garrison and Donald Osgood, Sr. in the May 1 special election.

Several have already pulled papers for the general election race later this year for the First Suffolk: Duckens Petiti-Maitre (D), and unenrolled candidates Garrison, Jesus Rosa, and, as of Tuesday, Elciana M. Ogunjobi.

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