LaFrance: Putting It All on Line for Top Post [VIDEO]

After 11 years working as an assistant county attorney – two years in Merrimack County before moving over to Hillsborough County – Patricia LaFrance is ready to step up her game. She's running as a Democrat for Hillsborough County Attorney.

Her opponent, Republican Dennis Hogan, is also her boss. 

"Personally, I have nothing against Dennis. He's a nice man. But the county attorney is not an entry level position," said LaFrance, referring to Hogan's previous occupation, as a personal injury attorney.

"People aren't aware until they become victims of crime why it matters who is in that position. The county attorney is responsible for prosecuting every felony in the county, with the exclusion of murder."

LaFrance has never run for an elected office before. She knew she was putting it all on the line by throwing her hat in the ring.

"As first assistant, I serve at the pleasure of the county attorney, and I knew that going in. So yes, I'm putting my neck out, but I want us back on the right track and getting what we need in the county attorney's office," said LaFrance. 

The county attorney must work with the legislature and be an advocate for the office to get the budget it needs to operate, LaFrance said.

"When a person doesn't know how the office functions or why certain experts are needed, or why a victim advocate is so essential, if you can't articulate that to the legislature, it's more than likely they are going to cut the position. It's a crucial team, and we're down to bare bones," she said.

"I've seen what happens when you don't have a person who truly believes in what the office does and what it's there for," LaFrance said.

Hogan's predecessor, Marguerite Wageling, is now a Superior Court Judge.

"Marguerite was wonderful. She was a career prosecutor, and she got it," LaFrance said. "She also was encouraging, and if she heard something good about any of us she made sure everyone knew – it was nice to get that kind of reinforcement, because we're dealing with such horrible things, day to day."

LaFrance has the endorsements of both Manchester and Nashua Patrol Officers and Supervisors unions, as well as Hudson Police Employees Association.

She's proud of the endorsements, she says, because it underscores the hard work she's done in the trenches over the past 11 years, working alongside  police detectives in following through on arrests to get convictions.

"What those endorsements mean to me is that the police unions have faith I will work with them. We are true partners with the police. They can do a great job of finding a guy and arresting him, but if the prosecutor drops the ball and that man goes free there's no accountability, so it's truly a partnership," LaFrance said.

"I think it speaks volumes when you have unions endorsing me over the county attorney. It means they don't have faith in the current county attorney and that they believe I'd do a better job," LaFrance said.

Kevin Rourke, president of Nashua Police Supervisors Union, released a statement in support of LaFrance that said, in part:

Our members ... have worked closely with Attorney LaFrance over the past eight years, as she prosecuted felony cases as an Assistant Hillsborough County Attorney. Throughout these years, Patti has fostered strong partnerships with law enforcement. She is respected for her integrity, prosecutorial experience and leadership skills. Patti has become known as a fighter who is dedicated to protecting victim’s rights. We have complete confidence that she is the best choice for this important office.

LaFrance has an undergraduate degree in English communications. But she entered the job pool during the recession of the early 1990s, which meant jobs in her field were hard to come by.

"So I started as a temp, working for a printed circuit board manufacturing company, doing data entry. A few months before a big audit, they fired the quality control manager and, pretty much, it was up to me to take over. I eventually became the quality systems coordinator and led their audit team for ISO 9000 registration," LaFrance said.

Although she was good at what she was doing, she knew she wanted to do more to connect with people in need. In 1995 she became a CASA guardian ad litem. In 1998 she enrolled in law school at New England College.

While she was hitting the books full time, her future husband, Paul, proposed and they eventually married and had their first baby, who turned 1 around the same time she passed the bar exam.

They are now the proud parents of four kids all under the age of 13, and her husband is still her biggest supporter.

She got a job right out of law school as an intern in Hillsborough County court.

"Actually, I knew I wanted to be a prosecutor as soon as I started as a guardian ad litem. I love being able to advocate for victims of crime," LaFrance said. "When people ask me why I do it, I look to my kids. They know mommy puts away the bad guys, and they're proud of that. That's why I do it."

For more information go to Patricia LaFrance 2012