Democrat Djuna Perkins defeated independent Joseph Pagliarulo on Nov. 3 to become Norfolk County's next district attorney, WATD 95.9 FM reported. Perkins won 73% to 27%, according to the station.
The result gives Brookline and 27 other Norfolk County communities their first new top prosecutor in 16 years. The district attorney oversees criminal prosecutions and charging decisions in courts across the county, including Brookline District Court, according to Serpa Law's analysis of the race.
Perkins, a Dedham resident, takes office Jan. 6, 2027, under state law, and will serve a four-year term, according to Serpa Law.
How Brookline shaped the primary
Brookline played an outsized role in the Sept. 1 Democratic primary. Perkins collected 3,988 votes in Brookline, more than in any other community, according to the Secretary of the Commonwealth's certified primary results. She won the seven-candidate primary districtwide with 28,271 votes out of 108,737 cast.
The League of Women Voters of Brookline co-sponsored a candidate forum ahead of the primary alongside chapters in Needham, Dover-Sherborn, Norwood, Sharon-Stoughton, Wellesley and Westwood-Walpole-Dedham, according to the League of Women Voters of Needham.
Norfolk County was the only Greater Boston district with a contested general election for district attorney, according to Serpa Law.
Why the seat opened
District Attorney Michael Morrissey, first elected in 2010, announced in January 2026 that he would not seek reelection, the Needham Observer reported. His announcement followed scrutiny of the Karen Read murder trials and the death of Sandra Birchmore, according to the Observer.
Both candidates said those cases drove them to run. Perkins announced her campaign in September 2024 after publicly calling for Morrissey's resignation, according to the Observer. Pagliarulo, a Millis resident, entered the race in March 2026.
The candidates
Perkins served for 10 years as an assistant attorney general and assistant district attorney, according to her campaign biography. She entered private practice in 2003 and spent 14 years conducting Title IX investigations for schools and employers, the Observer reported. She told the Observer she would prioritize training to protect women and children and would review the Birchmore case.
Pagliarulo, who ran under the slogan "Take Politics Out of Prosecution," appeared on the ballot as unenrolled. He spent more than 18 years as a prosecutor in the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office and supervised lawyers at the West Roxbury Division of Boston Municipal Court, according to The Ballot Brief's voter guide and the Observer. He told the Observer he would appoint a new district court supervisor, review prior Superior Court charges and expand mental health court programs.
Both candidates pledged to overhaul the office, audit past decisions and rebuild community trust, according to the Observer.
Perkins takes office Jan. 6, 2027. Official certification of results from the Secretary of the Commonwealth is expected in the weeks ahead.
Correction, Nov. 4, 2026: An earlier version described Michael Morrissey as holding office since 2010. He was elected in 2010 and took office in 2011.
