DA Michael O'Keefe Not Seeking Re-Election

BARNSTABLE, MA — Cape & Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe will not seek re-election.

O'Keefe, a Republican, shared the news in a statement he released Wednesday. He will have served in office for 20 years when his term expires in January 2023.

"It has been the honor of my professional life to have been elected five times by the voters of the Cape & Islands and have led an office of professional and dedicated prosecutors," O'Keefe said. "After much reflection, I have decided not to seek a sixth term."

O'Keefe thanked his staff both past and present for their efforts over the last nearly two decades.

"I must say that neither myself nor the assistant district attorneys who work in this office could be effective at this job without the excellent support staff, victim witness assistants and police agencies who serve all of us every day," O’Keefe said. "In the time remaining in this term we will continue to serve the people of Cape Cod and the Islands. To the voters, I say a heartfelt thank you for placing your trust in me over these many years."

O'Keefe first joined the district attorney's office in 1982 and served as an assistant district attorney. By 1985, he rose to chief prosecutor for six-person jury trials for the Cape & Island district courts.

In 1987, he became a Superior Court Prosecutor and was promoted to second assistant district attorney in 1993. By 1995, O'Keefe was named first assistant district attorney and was sworn-in to head the agency in 2003.