HYANNIS – Democrat Rob Galibois and Republican Dan Higgins will face off this November for who will next lead the Cape and Islands District Attorney office.
Current DA Michael O’Keefe announced earlier this year that he would not seek a sixth term.
Galibois, who runs a private practice, said he brings budgeting and leadership experience to the table, some of which from districts outside the Cape and Islands and in other states.
“I’ve been through all the Cape and Islands courts and, to date, I am up to 170 cases across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I’ve also appeared in about a dozen other states standing before a judge,” Galibois said.
“So I actually get to offer that I’ve watched district attorneys across the Commonwealth and the country try to transform whatever priorities they have and their districts into practice. I’ve gotten to see what works and what doesn’t work.”
Galibois began his career as a volunteer prosecutor in the Barnstable District Court and interned under previous DA Phil Rollins.
Higgins, current Assistant District Attorney who has been in the position for over a decade, said he will have an individual-focused approach for those who commit crimes if he were to lead the office.
“We will treat them fairly. If they are willing to work with us, we’ll work with them,” Higgins told CapeCod.com.
“Where it’s a young person who made a mistake, we may consider them for our diversion program. We’ve had over 5,000 graduates from that program and a very good success rate at keeping those individuals out of the court system in the future. If they come in and it’s a more serious crime, then we’ll prosecute it in a commensurate way to the level of crime that it is.”
Higgins was hired by the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s office after graduation from Suffolk University Law School.
Galibois has been endorsed by officials including Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey.
Higgins has received the endorsement of current DA Michael O’Keefe, among others.
Galibois and Higgins also joined this week’s Sunday Journal to discuss their bids.
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