SALEM — State Rep. Paul Tucker (D-Salem) announced Tuesday afternoon that he has officially secured a place on the Democratic Primary ballot for District Attorney in Essex County, after submitting 1,961 certified signatures to the Secretary of State’s office.
Tucker, 63, said he collected more than 2,300 signatures.
Candidates running for DA are required to submit 1,000 certified voter signatures to qualify for the primary ballot, according to the press release.
“I am grateful to the many people who helped accomplish this so quickly and to all of the voters who signed my nomination papers,” Tucker said. “I look forward to the official kickoff of this campaign on April 12 with early endorsements from over 130 local leaders across the county and to keep this strong start growing in a positive direction.”
Tucker announced his candidacy for DA on Jan. 5, after Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett announced he would not seek an eighth term in office.
“For decades, the Essex County District Attorney’s office has set the standards for integrity, innovation and effective pursuit of justice,” Tucker said. “I share DA Blodgett’s strong commitment to holding criminals accountable, securing justice for victims of crime, providing services and drug treatment to non-violent offenders, and engaging the community in crime prevention.”
Tucker will run against Attorney James O’Shea, a Lynn native and Democrat who announced he will be running for DA on March 1.
Tucker has been a licensed attorney for 21 years, a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association, an adjunct professor and a former police academy public-safety instructor. He holds a Juris Doctorate in law and both master’s and bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice.
He worked for the Salem Police Department for 32 years, spending 22 years as a detective and becoming a captain by age 32. For 17 years, he was chief of the detective’s bureau, overseeing the department’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID). In 2009, he became the city’s police chief, a position he retired from in 2014 after being elected as a state representative.
In 2015, Tucker became the representative for the 7th Essex District, which encompasses all of Salem. He has served on several House committees, including the Judiciary and Public Safety committees.
“I am running to uphold those high standards and to build upon that unwavering commitment to the pursuit of justice,” Tucker said. “I welcome this opportunity to put my unique combination of legal knowledge, criminal-justice background, law-enforcement training, and administrative acumen and management experience to work to effectively lead Essex County’s ‘People’s Law Office.’”
