Palfrey Exits MA Attorney General Race Before Primary

BOSTON, MA — One of three Democrats running to become the state's next attorney general bowed out of the race Tuesday, exactly one week before the Sept. 6 primary.

Quentin Palfrey confirmed rumors of his exit to the Boston Globe Tuesday morning, and threw his support behind former rival in the AG primary, Andrea Campbell. He later published a series of tweets describing his decision to drop out.

“This office and this campaign matter a great deal to me and to a lot of people, and it has become clear to me that we were not going to be successful in this campaign," he said in one tweet.

In recent days, top elected officials in Massachusetts, including Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, endorsed consumer rights attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan. Campbell, a former Boston city councilor, was previously endorsed by U.S. Sen. Ed Markey and outgoing Attorney General Maura Healey.

Palfrey was the choice of the state Democratic party, but lagged in fundraising behind his two opponents.

The Liss-Riordan campaign pounced on the Palfrey news — and his decision to endorse Campbell.

"It’s disappointing that Quentin Palfrey would choose petty insider politics over people. His campaign claimed to value putting experience to work for Massachusetts and fighting for progressive policies. It’s a shame he’s willing to throw that away to curry favor with political elites," campaign manager Jordan Meehan said in a news release.

Healey is running as the sole candidate to be the 2022 Democratic candidate for governor. She's not seeking reelection as the attorney general.

The state primary election is Tuesday, but tens of thousands of voters have already cast ballots either by mail or during early voting week thanks to a new state voting law that went into effect this summer.