The political and legal communities across Massachusetts are paying close attention to one of the more unexpected developments of the 2026 election cycle, Rachel Rollin’s Suffolk DA candidacy. Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly turned to attorneys across the state for their perspective. Vikas Dhar was among the attorneys asked to weigh in.
The April 28, 2026, article, “Snap Judgments: Lawyers weigh in on Rollins running for Suffolk DA,” written by Pat Murphy, examines the implications of Rachael Rollins pulling nomination papers for Suffolk County district attorney. Rollins, who previously held the post from 2019 to 2022 and later served as U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, resigned from that federal role in 2023 amid a significant ethics scandal. Federal investigations found that she had improperly used her position to interfere in a DA primary race. The Board of Bar Overseers subsequently issued a public reprimand. Lawyers Weekly asked attorneys to assess both Rollins’ decision to run and her chances of winning.
Vikas Dhar approached the question with the grounded, principled analysis he is known for. He began by framing Rollins’ decision within the broader context of democracy itself, noting that “the public square remains open” and that ultimately, “voters, not investigators, render the final verdict on those who seek their trust.” At the same time, he was realistic about her prospects, acknowledging that “she faced serious findings from federal oversight bodies and those findings are part of the public record.”
Rather than predict an outcome, Attorney Dhar laid out the variables that will actually determine the result: how Rollins presents herself, who else enters the field, and what Suffolk County voters are most focused on. “She is a known quantity,” he noted, “which means strong support in certain quarters and real resistance in others.” Attorney Vikas Dhar delivered the bottom line: “I’d call it competitive, contingent and genuinely uncertain.”
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