Former Montco Prosecutor Will Run For Bucks Co. District Attorney

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — A former special prosecutor in Montgomery County and courtroom veteran has announced her candidacy for district attorney in Bucks County.

Antonetta Stancu, a Democrat, is the first named challenger to incumbent Republican District Attorney Matthew Weintraub, whose seat is up for grabs in 2021.

Stancu helped the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office prosecute multiple high level cases, including those involving former Commissioner Jim Matthews and former Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane.

Now a criminal defense lawyer practicing in Doylestown, where she lives with her husband and two children, Stancu has also served as a Bucks County Deputy District Attorney, an Assistant U.S. Attorney and a Bronx County Assistant District Attorney.

"As a county and federal prosecutor, I prosecuted homicides, public corruption, domestic assaults, and led major gun and drug investigations," Stancu said in a statement. "I built a reputation for being tough but fair. As a defense attorney, I am proud to protect the rights of defendants."

The daughter of immigrants, Stancu could only speak Romanian on her first day of kindergarten. Growing up in Lower Bucks County and Montgomery County, she was the first in her family to finish high school, the first to graduate from college, and the first to go to law school, her campaign said.

Stancu said she is running to unify the Bucks community, which, like so much of America, has become "a house divided."

"I have seen firsthand how the American Dream, that my parents were able to achieve, has slipped away for many in our community," Stancu added. "I believe we can do better. It's time to address the mental health issues that have resulted in an increase in crime rates, recidivism, and drug abuse. We must truly fight the opioid epidemic, attack gun violence, fight environmental hazards, end elder abuse, and improve our criminal justice policies."

With reporting from Patch correspondent Peter Blanchard