Prosecutor v. prosecutor

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Cambridge Democrat David Solet is trying to pull off a feat his supporters say an assistant district attorney hasn’t accomplished in nearly 50 years: toppling their boss at the ballot box.

Solet left his job as chief of the cold case homicide unit in Middlesex DA Marian Ryan’s office last fall to run against her. He formally launched his campaign from a riverside park in Cambridge Tuesday, though he’s spent the last several months visiting Middlesex County’s 54 cities and towns.

On that tour — in between eating pancakes at a Newton firehouse, corned beef to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Somerville and “more than a few ice cream cones” — Solet says he’s trying to send a three-pronged message to voters: that his experience matters, his vision matters and his supporters matter.

Some of those supporters stood with Solet as he laid out his vision for a safer and more just Middlesex County, including attorneys who'd worked him in the DA's office and squared off against him in court, former state Public Safety Secretary Dan Bennett, retired Woburn Police chief Robert Ferullo, Jr., and Denise Cosby, who first met Solet when he helped investigate and prosecute her son's murder. The 24-year prosecutor has also collected endorsements from more than two dozen public safety unions and associations, he said.

Solet this week knocked Ryan’s approach to combatting gun trafficking, and used his Cambridge campaign event to highlight crimes, both recent and historic, that have struck what he called a beautiful city. He’s pitching himself as an empathetic prosecutor whose decisions will be “driven by the facts and the law, not political considerations or fear of repercussions.”

Ryan has plenty of familiar names, many with Lowell ties, in her corner as she seeks another term in the office she's led since 2013. Last month, she took in donations from former Boston Police commissioner Ed Davis, Lowell City Manager Tom Golden and University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan, among others.

Her campaign this week announced an August fundraiser with Attorney General Andrea Campbell, which will "highlight Ryan's strong partnership with the Attorney General, as well as Ryan's leadership as the only woman serving among Massachusetts' 11 district attorneys." The Ryan camp says one of the DA’s focal points is fighting back against the Trump administration, something that’s kept Campbell busy in court.

Ryan, her campaign said, believes her status as the only current female DA and her firsthand experience surviving violent crime gives her a responsibility to speak up for vulnerable people.

"Experience matters, of course, but so does representation," Ryan said in a statement.

Solet's supporters are aware of that dynamic, too.

"I'm a little worried that people will see on the ballot, 'Oh, Marian Ryan, that's a woman. Some younger man is coming in, and I don't know with my progressive concerns whether I should be voting for Dave Solet,’" said retired Middlesex prosecutor Lisa McGovern, who worked with Solet to prosecute a high-profile 2011 murder where Wayland teenager Lauren Dunne Astley was killed by her ex-boyfriend.

But McGovern said people who care about justice in domestic violence and sexual assault cases should vote for Solet, describing him as someone who works with victims “in a compassionate and caring way.”

Yes, it’s a down-ballot contest that will be decided in a pre-Labor Day primary, but it seems likely to heat up as the summer goes on.

Solet's spent more than $126,000 so far this year, on consulting, printing campaign materials and buying digital ads. While Ryan has doled out far less — just over $22,000 — she's equipped for a fight, with $766,000 on hand compared to Solet's $83,000.

The Ryan-Solet race is one of four contested DA primaries this cycle, along with Suffolk County, Norfolk County and the Cape and Islands. Which candidates are you watching and why? Let me know at [email protected].

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HAPPENING TODAY

11:00 | House meets in a formal session with plans to vote on a redrafted animal welfare bill (S 3028). Roll calls are set to begin at 1 p.m. | House Chamber

11:00 | Republican candidate for U.S. Senate John Deaton holds a town hall forum | Worcester Senior Center, 128 Providence St., Worcester

12:15 | Gov. Healey plans to "make a major announcement regarding support for local school districts." | Nurses Hall, State House

1:30 | Gov. Healey signs a bill establishing the Blue Star Family license plate. Wednesday is the 8th anniversary of Weymouth Police Sergeant Michael Chesna’s death, and Healey plans to join Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble and Public Safety and Security Secretary Gina Kwon at the open press event | Governor’s Ceremonial Office, State House

2:00 | State Ballot Law Commission holds a hearing on an objection disputing the validity of signatures filed in support of the initiative petition seeking to repeal the state's adult-use recreational marijuana laws | 17th floor conference room at 1 Ashburton Place, Boston

6:30 | Department of Conservation and Recreation hosts a presentation on an upcoming seasonal pilot closure of two major, scenic roadways in the Blue Hills Reservation in Milton and Quincy. DCR plans to close Chickatawbut and Wampatuck roads for weekends from July through early September, citing conservation efforts in the reservation and public safety | More Info and Register

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FROM BEACON HILL

DOUBLING DOWN: Phil Eng, who's been serving for months as the MBTA general manager and transportation secretary, says he's enjoying the double duty and has no timeline for dropping either role. His comments come as the MBTA celebrates its new Harbor Loop ferry service. | State House News Service

BIG TECH, BIG QUESTIONS: State lawmakers have a complex series of negotiations in front of them as they try to reconcile a web of bills addressing data privacy, cellphones in schools and social media rules for minors. Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office could have major roles in whatever becomes law. | CommonWealth Beacon

IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT: A slimmed-down version of the DRIVE Act, a bill Gov. Healey filed last year as a backstop against cuts to federal research funding, is advancing, now as part of the economic development bill that passed the House and is awaiting Senate action. | Boston Globe

CATS AND DOGS: State reps plan to vote today on a new version of animal safety legislation already passed by the Senate. The House's redraft removes a provision seeking to ban the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet shops. | State House News Service via WWLP

NEWS NEXT DOOR

REINTEGRATION HOUSE: A newly opened women's reentry facility is "just a little bit more homey," says MCI-Framingham Superintendent Ryan Donlon. About five women are set to move in to the Reintegration House next month to give them a chance to get used to a community setting before they leave prison. | Boston Herald

COPPING OUT: Months after the Worcester Regional Research Bureau recommended standing up a civilian review board to oversee the city's police department, some residents are frustrated they haven't seen steps to make that a reality. | GBH News

CAPE WALK: Activists plan a 70-mile walk across Cape Cod to the Plymouth County Correction Facility, which organizers say is to raise awareness about the conditions for immigrant detainees held in the jail. | CAI

LAST CALL: Easthampton awarded its last available liquor license, lost by another venue over unpaid taxes, to a new karaoke bar. City officials hope the Legislature will sign off on their bill asking for eight more licenses to buoy economic development. | Daily Hampshire Gazette

They're trying to use a $2.1 BILLION mistake by Governor Baker as an excuse to slash benefits for unemployed workers. Over the past 20 years, the legislature has given the business community over $12 BILLION by freezing unemployment contributions. Plus $200 MILLION from the state's rainy day fund and $500 MILLION in Federal ARPA funding.

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