Op-Ed: The People Who Know the Work Know David Solet is Ready to Lead
Aug 25, 2026
By David Ginisi, Director of External Relations, New England Police Benevolent Association
With the September 1 Democratic primary for Middlesex District Attorney quickly approaching, voters across the county face an important decision about the future of one of the most consequential law enforcement offices in Massachusetts.
For the New England Police Benevolent Association, that choice is clear.
David Solet should be the next District Attorney of Middlesex County.
NEPBA endorsed David because we believe he possesses the experience, judgment, integrity and vision necessary to lead the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office into its next chapter. In the weeks since our endorsement, something remarkable has happened: organization after organization representing the men and women who actually work on the front lines of public safety has reached the same conclusion.
David has now earned more than 50 endorsements, with extraordinary support from law enforcement and public safety organizations across Middlesex County and Massachusetts.
The list includes the Massachusetts Police Association, Massachusetts Coalition of Police, State Police Association of Massachusetts, Fraternal Order of Police of Massachusetts, Middlesex Sheriff’s Officers Association, numerous local police patrol and superior officer unions, firefighters, correction officers, transit police and, of course, the New England Police Benevolent Association.
These organizations do not all agree on everything. They represent different communities, different agencies and thousands of public safety professionals with different experiences.
But on David Solet, there is remarkable agreement.
That should tell voters something.
These are the men and women who have worked alongside prosecutors. They know what happens after the press conference is over. They know which prosecutors answer the phone, prepare their cases, understand investigations, listen to victims, work collaboratively with police and have the courage to make difficult decisions.
They know David Solet.
For 24 years, David has been doing this work. He prosecuted cases involving murder, domestic violence, child exploitation, narcotics trafficking, organized crime and public corruption. He became the first Chief of the Middlesex District Attorney’s Cyber Protection Unit. He served as the office’s General Counsel and later as Chief Legal Counsel to the Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety.
Most recently, he led the Middlesex County Cold Case Homicide Unit from 2019 through 2025, taking on cases that had gone unsolved for years — sometimes decades — and giving victims and their families something they had nearly given up on receiving: answers.
His work earned him recognition as the 2025 Middlesex County Prosecutor of the Year.
David also understands that the challenges facing law enforcement and prosecutors are changing.
Illegal firearms do not respect municipal boundaries. Technology has transformed everything from financial fraud and exploitation to the evidence investigators must collect and prosecutors must understand. Drug-impaired driving presents challenges that our laws must adequately address. And loopholes in existing dangerousness statutes can prevent prosecutors from even requesting hearings in cases involving certain serious offenses.
David isn't running to simply occupy the District Attorney's office. He is running with a plan to modernize it.
He has proposed creating a dedicated Crime Gun Unit to identify and dismantle the networks trafficking illegal firearms into our communities. He wants stronger tools to combat technology-enabled crime and financial exploitation of seniors. He has called for closing gaps that deny some sexual assault victims an opportunity for justice and for reforms that give prosecutors appropriate tools when dangerous offenders present a demonstrable threat to the public.
These are substantive public safety priorities, and they reflect what law enforcement professionals see every day.
But this campaign is about more than policies.
It is about leadership.
And this week, two of Massachusetts' most prominent newspapers independently reached the same conclusion that so many public safety professionals already have.
The Boston Globe and the Boston Herald have both endorsed David Solet for Middlesex District Attorney.
The Globe pointed to David's exceptional record of advocacy and compassion for victims whose cases had long been forgotten, as well as his commitment to changing the culture and management of the District Attorney's Office.
The Herald similarly emphasized his commitment to public safety, accountability and his persistent pursuit of justice for victims.
Those endorsements are noteworthy not simply because of the names at the top of the editorial pages, but because the Globe and Herald frequently approach public policy from very different perspectives.
Yet here, they reached the same conclusion.
So have police officers.
So have superior officers.
So have sheriff's officers.
So have correction officers.
So have firefighters.
So have victims and families who have witnessed David's work firsthand.
And so has NEPBA.
There will inevitably be those who attempt to portray support from law enforcement organizations as something a candidate for District Attorney should avoid. We reject that premise.
Police officers do not want a District Attorney who blindly agrees with them. They want one who knows the law, demands professional investigations, holds everyone accountable to the same standards and works collaboratively toward the shared objective of justice.
Supporting law enforcement and demanding accountability are not contradictory principles. A strong justice system requires both.
David Solet understands that.
Our members know that prosecutors and police occupy different roles in the criminal justice system. But those roles intersect every single day. When investigators spend months building a homicide case, when an officer responds to a domestic violence call, when detectives trace an illegal firearm or when a family waits decades for answers about a murdered loved one, the relationship between prosecutors and investigators matters enormously.
Trust matters.
Competence matters.
Communication matters.
Leadership matters.
That is why the breadth of support David has received from people throughout the public safety community cannot simply be dismissed as another collection of political endorsements.
It is a professional vote of confidence from people who know the work.
Middlesex County is the most populous county in Massachusetts. Its District Attorney's Office handles tens of thousands of cases each year and serves 54 cities and towns. The person entrusted to lead that office must be prepared on day one to manage prosecutors, work with law enforcement, advocate for victims, confront emerging threats and make decisions carrying enormous consequences for individuals and communities.
David Solet has spent more than two decades preparing for that responsibility.
The primary is September 1.
For voters still making their decision, we encourage them to look beyond campaign slogans and ask a straightforward question:
Who has earned the confidence of the people who have seen these candidates do the work?
Across Middlesex County, the answer has become increasingly clear.
The New England Police Benevolent Association proudly stands with David Solet, and we encourage Democratic voters throughout Middlesex County to elect him as their next District Attorney.
David Solet has earned our trust. Now he has earned the opportunity to lead.
