DA Wannabes Wage Endorsement War

NORTHAMPTON – The endorsement war between David E. Sullivan and Michael A. Cahillane, the two Democratic candidates for Northwestern District Attorney, has been ramping up lately, with a flurry of press announcements of support being emailed by the two campaigns to media outlets. The two face off in a Sept. 14 primary; because there are no Republicans on the Nov. 2 general election ballot, the primary winner  will become DA in January.

On Friday, Northampton Ward 3 City Councilor Angela Plassmann issued a statement supporting Cahillane, the longtime former prosecutor who lives in her ward, in which she cited his hard work after a series of December 2009 arson fires that killed two people on Fair Street.

Ward 3 City Councilor Angela Plassmann has sent a letter of endorsement to DA candidate Michael A. Cahillane

“I was impressed with your dedication and personal sacrifice to supervise the investigation, identify a suspect, and develop a solid case for prosecution,” Plassmann said in her letter to Cahillane. “I am confident that you’re (sic) multiple years of experience as Assistant District Attorney served you well in overseeing the investigation and preparation of this case.”

On Saturday, Cahillane’s Facebook page featured an endorsement from the Amherst Police League, echoing similar recent support from the Northampton and Easthampton police officer unions. Cahillane, the Amherst group stated, “has assisted in and supervised several major investigations. He has made himself available during all hours of the day and night and has made himself a bridge for networking between various law enforcement and social service agencies.”

On Monday, Sullivan’s campaign fired back with an endorsement from six Northampton City Councilors: At-large Councilors Jesse Adams and David Narkewicz, Ward 2’s Paul Spector, Ward 4’s Pamela Schwartz, Ward 5’s David Murphy and Ward 6’s Marianne LaBarge.

Jesse Adams (at-large) is one of six Northampton city councilors who have announced support for David E. Sullivan in the DA's race

“We want our District Attorney to protect the citizens of Northampton and the rest of the region from crime and to bring a passion for justice to the job,” the six city councilors stated.” Dave Sullivan has the judgment, legal experience and proven management skills to be a great DA. We believe he is the best candidate for this office.”

Also in recent days, as detailed in a Northampton Media story on Saturday (See Coffee Tables, Outdoor Smoking and Political Endorsements), Cahillane announced an endorsement from former Northampton mayor and retired judge Sean M. Dunphy, while Sullivan presented support from from four state legislators: Senators Stephen Brewer (D-Barre) and Stanley Rosenberg (D-Amherst), and state Reps. Christopher Donelan (D-Orange) and Stephen Kulik (D-Worthington).

Cahillane, a former assistant Northwestern District attorney under incumbent Elizabeth Scheibel, announced he would run for her job in June 2009 after she said she would not seek another six-year term. He quit this spring to campaign.

Sullivan, who since 2002 has served as register of the Hampshire County Probate and Family Court, announced that he would run for DA in January 2009, before Scheibel dropped out of the race. He recently produced a letter of support from 40 area prosecutors.

The two candidates are scheduled to debate tomorrow (Wednesday, Sept. 1) at 7 p.m. at the John F. Kennedy Middle School on Bridge Road here. The debate, sponsored by various local media, will be broadcast live by Northampton Community TV on channel 15, as well as on the web at northamptontv.org and on Gazettenet.com.