Democrat Rahsaan Hall announces bid for Plymouth County district attorney

Yet another district attorney race has turned competitive as Rahsaan Hall, a former assistant district attorney, announced Tuesday he is taking on current Plymouth County DA Tim Cruz for the job. It’s making for an unusual amount of activity for eastern Massachusetts district attorneys offices that Bay Staters will have to resolve come November.

“On this historic day, I am here to say that I have a vision of justice, a vision that is rooted in restoration, transformation and healing,” Hall said during his announcement at Luanda’s Restaurant in his hometown of Brockton shortly after noon Tuesday. He noted it was the first day of Black History Month, “a time where we celebrate the historic accomplishments of Black people in America.”

Hall, who currently works as a consultant at his own firm, served as an assistant district attorney for Suffolk County from 2000 to 2008 and served as the director for the Racial Justice Program at the state ACLU from 2015 to 2022.

Current Plymouth DA Cruz — who has been on the job for more than two decades — is running for reelection. He said in his announcement message that, “Clearly, we are on the right path in Plymouth County, and we continue to serve justice to its residents.”

Cruz’s campaign could not be reached for comment late Tuesday afternoon.

Hall’s entry into the Plymouth Race makes for four counties needing to decide a DA: Rachael Rollins’ move to being the state’s top federal prosecutor opened the Suffolk County position, and both Essex County DA Jonathan Blodgett and Cape and Islands DA Michael O’Keefe announced early last month they would not seek reelection.

Hall, in his announcement speech, said he would prioritize “racial justice, harm reduction and community engagement” and that his vision of justice “demands accountability for those that cause harm, whether they are community members or members of law enforcement.”

Hall was joined in his announcement by Geraldine Hines, a retired state Supreme Judicial Court justice, who was also selected last month to chair Boston’s police commissioner search committee; state Rep. Michelle DuBois, Democrat of Plymouth County; and Bri Nichols, who described herself as a leader of the Brockton community.

Hines said that she supports Hall “because he is the person for this moment in our history — a moment that demands a fresh commitment to progressive and transformative vision of justice in our criminal legal system.”

Cruz listed endorsements in a video, dated in 2018, on his campaign website from Gov. Charlie Baker, Plymouth County Police Chiefs Association, the Plymouth County Prosecutors Association and other various police and prosecutor organizations in Massachusetts.