Former Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker will help raise money for a Democrat running against a Republican for Bristol County district attorney.
Baker and former Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito will headline a Boston fundraiser next week for Democratic state Rep. Christopher Markey of Dartmouth, according to The Boston Globe.
Baker and Polito served as the state’s top two Republican officeholders from 2015 through 2023.
Markey has a Republican opponent in the district attorney race.
Seth Aitken of Swansea is the only candidate listed in the Republican primary for Bristol County district attorney. Markey is the only candidate in the Democratic primary.
That puts the two men on course to face each other in the Nov. 3 general election.
Aitken is the first Republican to run for Bristol County district attorney since 1974, according to The New Bedford Light.
He previously worked as an assistant district attorney in Bristol County. He now works as a defense lawyer. Aitken also served as Fall River’s city administrator before leaving that post in 2025.
Markey has served in the Massachusetts House since 2011. He represents Dartmouth and part of New Bedford.
Before winning his House seat, Markey spent 16 years in the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office. He worked for four years as a victim-witness advocate. He then spent 12 years as an assistant district attorney.
Current District Attorney Thomas Quinn III, a Democrat, plans to retire when his term ends. Baker appointed Quinn to fill a vacancy in 2015.
Markey also has a past political tie to Baker and Polito. He was among a small group of Democratic state representatives who endorsed the Republican ticket in 2018. Baker and Polito went on to win a second term.
Baker left the governor’s office in January 2023. He now serves as president of the NCAA.
