Senate confirms Rachael Rollins as U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts

BOSTON — Boston’s top prosecutor was narrowly confirmed Wednesday by the full U.S. Senate to be the next U.S. attorney for Massachusetts, making her the first Black woman to hold the position.

Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins was confirmed 51-50 along party lines, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the deciding vote.

Some Republican senators had criticized her progressive approach to crime, most notably Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, who said she is soft on criminals and her approach leads to an increase in violent crime.

“Her confirmation as U.S. Attorney would put Americans in danger,” a spokesperson for Cotton said in an email in October.

Rollins, who is the top prosecutor for the city of Boston and the suburbs of Chelsea, Winthrop and Revere, responded to GOP criticism in a radio interview on GBH News, saying her approach, including her decision to not prosecute nonviolent, low-level crimes and to back police reform, is working and that violent crime is actually down in Boston.

Rollins also had letters of support from several law enforcement officials, including a number of former Republican U.S. Attorneys for Massachusetts.

In a statement Wednesday, Rollins said she was “honored and humbled” by the opportunity, and looks forward to applying what she called “data-driven, evidence-based approaches” on the federal level.

She said violent crime — including homicides — in her jurisdiction is down this year by more than 20% from the five-year average, at a time when most other major cities have experienced increases in violence.

“Every policy and initiative that I have put in place as Suffolk County District Attorney has been designed to improve the safety and well-being of the communities I serve, to improve the public’s trust in law enforcement and our courts and to improve the fairness and equity of the criminal legal system,” she said.

The confirmation process was long and contentious by Senate standards. A Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on her nomination in September ended in an 11-11 tie along party lines, forcing Wednesday’s unusual roll call vote.

Rollins, 50, is a former assistant U.S. attorney in Massachusetts and was elected in 2018 as the first woman of color to serve as Suffolk district attorney. A successor to complete her term, which ends in 2022, will be selected by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker.

Rollins released a statement Wednesday afternoon following the confirmation:

I’m deeply honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve my community, my Commonwealth and my country as the next United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. Every policy and initiative that I have put in place as Suffolk County District Attorney has been designed to improve the safety and wellbeing of the communities I serve, to improve the public’s trust in law enforcement and our courts and to improve the fairness and equity of the criminal legal system. I’m incredibly proud of the work every member of my office has done to achieve these goals, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to lead an office of such dedicated, compassionate and talented professionals. I look forward to bringing these data-driven, evidence-based approaches and a heightened emphasis on culturally competent, trauma-informed victim services to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

—  Rachael Rollins

Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker also released a statement following Rollins’ confirmation:

“Governor Baker congratulates DA Rollins on her confirmation as the next U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts and looks forward to continuing to work with her. The Governor will make an appointment soon from a pool of qualified applicants to serve as District Attorney in Suffolk County.”

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