Miriam Rocah Will Not Seek 2nd Term As Westchester DA

WHITE PLAINS, NY — Miriam Rocah will not seek a second term as Westchester County district attorney.

The Scarsdale resident recently made the announcement on Facebook, saying that there was “adequate time for qualified candidates to launch campaigns and for an orderly transition.”

Rocah said it was a difficult decision, but it was right for her and her family at this time.

She said she doesn’t know what her next role will be, but she does know “that I will work to raise public awareness and advocate for the extremely necessary ethical reforms for our country, continue to fight for truth and justice and work on pressing national and world-wide issues.”

Saying that she announced her run for district attorney in 2019 because she believed the DA’s office needed to be modernized, Rocah said the office needed to better serve victims, be more efficient and transparent and be more proactive in building trust with the communities.

“We needed a balanced approach that was tough on violent crime and corruption, and flexible and creative with low-level, non-violent crime to help reduce recidivism, racism and unfairness in the criminal justice system,” she said.

“These were urgent changes that needed to happen and these are the very changes my team and I have implemented over the past three years as district attorney,” Rocah said. “I am tremendously proud of what we have accomplished.”

She said she thanked the county’s voters for giving her the chance to help move the DA’s office forward and keep Westchester’s families safe.

“It has been, and continues to be, my honor to serve you,” Rocah said.

In 2020, Rocah handily defeated incumbent District Attorney Anthony Scarpino Jr. in a primary to become the Democratic candidate for the office. Six weeks before the general election, Republican Bruce Bendish dropped out of the race, essentially handing Rocah the win.

Rocah was a federal prosecutor for 16-1/2 years. Prior to that, she clerked for the Honorable John Gleeson, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and the Honorable Chester J. Straub, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She also was a litigation associate at Cracath, Swaine and Moore.

She also was a legal analyst for MSNBC and NBC News.