Democrat Djuna Elizabeth Perkins is running for Norfolk County district attorney in the Nov. 3, 2026, election. Joseph Michael Pagliarulo is also listed as an unenrolled candidate in the state’s official roster.
Perkins lives in Dedham. Her campaign biography describes a legal career as a prosecutor, litigator and consultant, including service as a Massachusetts assistant attorney general and chief of Suffolk County’s Domestic Violence Unit. She attended Smith College and Boston University School of Law.
Prosecution and public trust
On her campaign website, Perkins emphasizes due process, ethical standards, accountability and collaboration with communities. She says she would prioritize prosecution of people who harm others while working to prevent repeat offenses and address cycles of addiction and incarceration.
Those statements outline her approach to the office. The campaign pages reviewed do not provide a complete staffing budget, funding package or implementation timetable for reform.
What the office can do
The district attorney leads the county’s prosecution office and makes charging and case-management decisions within the law. The office can influence prosecution priorities and diversion practices, but judges decide matters such as bail and sentencing, and legislators control changes to criminal law.
For Norfolk County residents, the election concerns how criminal cases are pursued and how the office works with victims, defendants and communities. Specific future outcomes cannot be established from campaign statements alone.
The Brookline Record did not receive a direct questionnaire response from the candidate and does not endorse candidates.
