The Democratic primary for district attorney in Cumberland County features a showdown between former colleagues who present differing visions for the office — stay the course on progressive reform or usher in new, more effective leadership.

District Attorney Jacqueline Sartoris, elected in 2022, faces Valerie Adams, one of her former prosecutors, in the June 9 primary.

Adams was fired by Sartoris last year after Adams informed her boss that she intended to run for the seat, and the falling out has shaped the tone of the campaign.

Both sides have offered differing accounts of a November meeting that led to Adams’ firing, and the candidates have since attempted to separate themselves through policy discussions with Democratic voters.

The district attorney, who serves four-year terms, oversees prosecution of all criminal cases (except homicides, which are handled by the attorney general). As of 2024, total compensation for the position was $155,800.

VALERIE ADAMS

Adams, 41, who grew up in Portland and lives in Pownal, now works as a criminal defense attorney representing low-income defendants. She was previously an assistant district attorney in Sagadahoc County for two years, and then for nine months in Cumberland County before she was terminated.

Adams has called Sartoris’ leadership “ineffective,” has said Sartoris is responsible for a dysfunctional office impacting employee morale, and claims Sartoris is often unavailable to her staff and the public.

Adams has campaigned on policies in line with what Sartoris has sought, including expanding diversion opportunities for low-level offenders. However, Adams has argued that very little has been accomplished in Sartoris’ tenure.

“Promises were made four years ago and a progressive DA was voted into office,” she said. “However, those promises have not become a reality.”

JACQUELINE SARTORIS

Sartoris, 61 of Brunswick, was elected district attorney in 2022 after unseating former DA Jonathan Sahrbeck in that year’s Democratic primary. She then ran unopposed in the general election.

Sartoris has denied allegations made by Adams about a toxic workplace, telling the Press Herald last month that Adams is “running a campaign of misinformation and petty personal attacks.”

Sartoris said she fired Adams after being informed that Adams had been using office hours to begin her campaign, which she believed to be an “inappropriate” use of public resources.

She said her office has made bold progressive change, including expanding recovery and restorative justice programs, creating a sex crimes prosecution team and has stood up to the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies by being willing to prosecute illegal use of force by ICE agents.

“This has become a race about whether or not we’re going to continue with prosecution reform,” Sartoris told the Press Herald recently. “Are we going to support real reforms that work, or are we going to go back to stale policy?”

ANOTHER CHALLENGER?

Given Cumberland County’s heavily Democratic-leaning voter base, the primary is highly likely to decide who will take the seat in November.

But complicating the race is an announcement last month by former longtime District Attorney Stephanie Anderson that she plans to run against Sartoris as an independent if she wins the primary.

Anderson, who served as district attorney as a Republican for 28 years before stepping down in 2018, is currently a town councilor in Cape Elizabeth.

Local officials holding municipal and legislative seats across the county have been split in their endorsements of the candidates.

In Portland, Councilors Pious Ali, April Fournier and Kate Sykes have endorsed Sartoris, while Councilors Wes Pelletier and Anna Bullett have endorsed Adams.

While both candidates reported roughly $12,000 in campaign contributions as of April 28 finance reports, a sizable amount of contributions to Sartoris’ campaign — $4,650 — came from out-of-state donors. Adams received a single, $50 contribution from an out-of-state donor.