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An intriguing Democratic primary race is shaping up as incumbent Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan faces David Solet, the former head of a cold case unit in her office.

First appointed in 2013 and re-elected since, Ryan is running on her record, while Solet is running on his own record as a veteran prosecutor who was named Middlesex County Prosecutor of the Year in 2025.

Waltham First Responder Unions Endorse Solet—but Ryan Responds

Dozens of police unions across Middlesex County have endorsed David Solet, who serves as major in the Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps of the United States Army Reserve.

Here in Waltham, he has the support of the Waltham Police Superior Officers Association and the Waltham Police Patrol Union, as well as Waltham Firefighters Local 866. 

 

“Dave’s proven commitment to taking down illegal gun traffickers, prosecuting sexual assault and tackling cybercrimes is exactly what we need to keep our community safe,” said Gerry Corbett, president of the WPD patrol officers’ union [in photo above].

“I am humbled and extremely proud to be supported by men and women who wear the uniform and put themselves in danger every day to protect the people of Waltham,” Solet said.

Marian Ryan responded that it’s unfair to tout endorsements that she refuses to accept on principle.

 

In 2020, following the death of George Floyd, Ryan signed a pledge from the Justice Collaborative Institute not to accept endorsements or campaign donations from police unions.

“I never wanted a family or a community to wonder when I was making decisions about police accountability and discipline if that support was a factor,” she said.

“We work with the police. I don’t work for the police,” she explained, adding that the vast majority of officers are doing a great job.

 

Ryan is one of few DAs statewide to maintain so-called “Brady lists” of police officers under internal investigation or facing allegations of misconduct.

To her, ensuring public confidence in police integrity is one of the key responsibilities of the DA—and it’s reflected in the level of transparency her office has shown following officer-involved shootings.

Solet, meanwhile, maintains that all the police union support he has received—as well as from firefighters and corrections officers—“speaks volumes.”

 

He also questioned why Ryan has taken money from criminal defense attorneys (which he has also done) while declining support from “key crime fighting partners.”

“The idea that there is more of a conflict to accept support from police unions than to accept support from people who represent drunk drivers, domestic batterers, rapists and murderers in court against the Middlesex DA’s office—that is a truly curious idea,” he said.

Democrats but Different

On September 1, Democratic primary voters in Middlesex County will be asked to choose between two highly qualified law enforcement professionals, each with decades of service. 

David Solet comes off as more traditionally law-and-order, while incumbent District Attorney Marian Ryan appears more reform-oriented. 

The only female district attorney in the state, with a strong record on domestic violence, she describes herself as a “Proven Progressive.” 

Ryan has embraced criminal justice reform and evolved to tackle emerging trends like cryptocurrency crime and technologies that “nudify” images of minors.

 

“We have implemented a lot of innovations in this office,” she said. “That is what I consider progressive.”

In Waltham, the Office of the Middlesex District Attorney (MDAO) has successfully prosecuted violent crimes, and Ryan herself has come to the city for press conferences involving murders and other major crimes, as well as other public safety initiatives.

 

Solet, shown above during the initial arraignment of Waltham murder suspect Taylor Poulin, believes he can do better for Waltham and Middlesex, pledging “Justice. For all.” in campaign literature.

He was appointed as the only prosecutor in Ryan’s new cold case unit in 2019, solving a dozen cases and investigating more than 300 murders and sexual assaults. He resigned in fall 2025.

As DA, Solet wants to crack down on the “onslaught” of drugged drivers since cannabis decriminalization, close loopholes for serious crimes currently ineligible for dangerousness hearings and create a new crime gun unit to stem the use of out-of-state guns used in crimes in Middlesex County.

“More than ⅔ of the crime guns that are used in crimes in Massachusetts come into our state from states with weak gun regulations, such as New Hampshire, Maine, Florida and Georgia,” he said.

Over the last 5 years, he said that Ryan built “only a handful of gun trafficking prosecutions” to prevent fatal shootings.

“There is more we should be doing to protect people,” Solet said.

In response, Ryan pointed to county crime statistics as evidence that her collaborative approach is paying off in Middlesex.

“We are nationally recognized as one of the top ten safest large counties in America,” she said.

She added that criminal justice reforms that the majority of Bay State DAs feared back in 2017 have not resulted in a “tsunami of crime.” 

“If we were living in the sort of crime-ridden state that my opponent is describing, I would be thinking about other solutions,” Ryan said. “He is offering solutions without establishing that there’s a problem.”

Eye to Eye

In spite of their differences, both agree on a number of issues. Both acknowledge the value of Flock Safety cameras as an investigative tool, but insist on strong guardrails to prevent misuse.

They also agree about a controversial Waltham case that has been the subject of a Hulu streaming series and a book: the 2011 triple homicide at 12 Harding Avenue.

 

Was Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev involved? And why has the brutal crime never been solved?

The case was initially investigated by former Middlesex DA Gerry Leone, but Ryan says it is still under active investigation. Both she and Solet agree that it would not be appropriate to release any new information.

The two candidates will face off in a Democratic primary for Middlesex District Attorney on Tuesday, September 1. Polls in Waltham will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and voters can also cast their ballots early.