Cape Cod Election 2022 Candidate Profile: Dan Higgins For DA

BARNSTABLE COUNTY, MA — Primary election season is nearly here, and a contested Cape & Islands District Attorney race is on the ballot.

Patch will run candidate profiles for candidates in these races as they come in. This one focuses on Dan Higgins:

Position sought (including ward or district number if applicable)

Cape & Islands District Attorney

Party Affiliation

Republican

Family

Wife Elizabeth, soon to be one-year-old son Charlie

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

A couple family members are retired FBI officers, another is an attorney with the Trial Court but no one works in politics.

Education

• B.A. Boston College
• J.D. Suffolk Law School

Occupation

Assistant District Attorney, 13 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

none

Campaign website

HigginsforDA.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for District Attorney because I believe it’s important to keep experienced professional leadership at work in the District Attorney’s Office. My home is here in the district. I live in West Barnstable with my wife Elizabeth and our son Charlie. I want to keep our communities safe for my family and yours. This is not a place for on the job training. This is a job where experience counts. The District Attorney has to lead the largest law firm on the Cape and that requires knowledge and good judgment which only comes from experience. I bring that knowledge and experience to this race, and that’s why I am running.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The most pressing issue remains drug addiction. In our office we have Massachusetts State Police personnel dedicated to drug interdiction. But we cannot arrest our way out of this scourge of drugs. We must continually work on improving treatment and prevention though medical facilities and schools. It takes all of society to do this, not just the criminal justice system. The foregoing should not be understood to minimize other serious issues such as child abuse and domestic violence, all of which are important particularly if they happen to you or a loved one. In our office we have to pay attention to all of these issues.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I differ from the other candidates in one important respect. I have the knowledge and the experience of the criminal justice system to be the District Attorney and to lead a group of 25 Assistant District Attorneys.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have been an assistant district attorney for the past thirteen years. I have prosecuted all all types of criminal cases including murder. I have been in a leadership position in the District attorney's office supervising the attorneys in the five district courts in our jurisdiction. I have the knowledge and the experience to do this job.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Do the right thing.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I went to law school to be a prosecutor. I have devoted my legal career to public service. I want to continue to serve the community and keep the Cape & Islands safe for my family and yours.