Kevin Hayden went from accidental DA to establishment favorite — and that's exactly the problem for his critics.

Four years ago, almost nobody outside Boston legal circles knew Kevin Hayden's name. Charlie Baker plucked him from the Sex Offender Registry Board to fill Rachael Rollins' old seat, and Hayden barely survived a bruising 2022 election against a scandal-ridden opponent — a win most people chalked up to "not being the other guy" rather than any grand vision for the office. Now, heading into the winner-take-all Democratic primary on September 1, Hayden is the guy Mayor Michelle Wu is backing, and he's running as the incumbent with a full record to defend rather than an appointee hoping voters don't notice him.

That's a genuinely strange turn for a Republican-appointed prosecutor to pull off in deep-blue Boston, and it's exactly why this race is worth watching. Rollins herself is back in the mix trying to reclaim the office and the progressive platform she built it on, while Linda Champion is positioning herself as the true change candidate, arguing neither Hayden nor Rollins actually fixed what's broken in Suffolk County's justice system. The dynamic here isn't left-vs-right — it's a fight over what "progressive prosecution" even means anymore in a city where crime, policing, and public trust in the DA's office have all shifted since 2022.

Whoever wins this primary essentially wins the general election in heavily Democratic Suffolk County, so September 1 is the real Election Day. Watch turnout in Boston's early voting numbers this week — if it's soft, that favors the candidate with the more mobilized base, which right now looks like Hayden's institutional coalition. Full story at Boston Globe →

A former protégé is trying to unseat Middlesex DA Marian Ryan — from the inside. David Solet spent 20-plus years working under Ryan before resigning to challenge her, and he's picked up police union backing while arguing she hasn't been tough enough on public safety. It's an unusually collegial-turned-tense race for a county with low crime and no scandal driving it — just old colleagues disagreeing on direction. Boston Globe →

Cambridge police fatally shot a man in his 60s near Central Square Friday night. Officers responding to a report of suspicious activity behind businesses on Temple Street say the man got out of his car and pointed a loaded gun at them; they tried to disarm him before opening fire. Middlesex DA Marian Ryan's office is investigating, and all responding officers wore body cameras. Universal Hub →

Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians just authorized their first strike in the ensemble's 145-year history. The vote isn't a strike itself, but it's a serious escalation after management rejected the union's request to bring in a mediator. Tensions have been simmering since the board abruptly decided in March not to renew conductor Andris Nelsons' contract, and the musicians' current deal expires Sunday night. WBUR →

Two more towns are ditching Flock license plate readers. Grafton and East Bridgewater pulled the plug this week, joining more than a dozen Massachusetts departments that have backed away from the controversial surveillance cameras amid privacy concerns — and in Grafton's case, actual vandalism of the devices. It's becoming a genuine statewide trend, not just isolated pushback. Boston Globe →

Small Massachusetts farms are getting squeezed by fuel costs tied to the US-Iran conflict. At Barrett's Mill Farm in Concord, fuel costs are up 76% with no relief in sight, forcing farmers to absorb costs they can't easily pass on to customers who are also feeling the squeeze. Add in Massachusetts' already-high land and labor costs, and it's a tough summer for local agriculture. Boston Globe →

Worcester's search for Karen Solomon continues into another day. Solomon, considered armed and dangerous, remains missing after her husband — off-duty Worcester Patrolman Kurt Solomon — was found dead following a domestic incident. DA Joseph Early Jr. says the search won't stop until she's found, and several recreational areas remain closed. WCVB →

• Early voting runs through Friday, August 28 ahead of the September 1 state primary — find your location at VoteInMA.com. WBZ / CBS Boston →

• Springfield residents can weigh in on the city's draft housing strategy at public open houses Tuesday and Wednesday, August 25-26. WWLP →

• The Markey-Moulton Senate primary and the GOP governor's race between Michael Minogue and Brian Shortsleeve head to voters September 1, though Secretary of State Bill Galvin doesn't expect either to drive big turnout on its own. Boston Globe →

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Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Gabriel Greenspan (Republican) — Senate, Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire — Filed: 8/20/2026
• Anthony Baez — City Councilor, Boston — Filed: 8/20/2026
• Brendalee Smith (Republican) — House, 10th Bristol — Filed: 8/19/2026

Ballot Question Committees

• Vote YES on 4 Election Day Registration — N/A, No office — Filed: 8/19/2026

Change of Purposes

• Christopher Chan — City Councilor, Quincy → Mayoral, Quincy — Filed: 8/21/2026

OCPF →

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