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The 2021 election season in Bucks County is getting underway.
Veteran prosecutor and defense attorney Antonetta Stancu, who left the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office earlier this year, announced Monday that she is running as a Democrat for district attorney.
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Stancu is the first Democrat to throw their hat in the ring. Incumbent Republican District Attorney Matt Weintraub has no challengers yet from his party for the spring primary.
Stancu, a Doylestown resident, wife, and mother, worked for 17 years as a prosecutor, serving in the county district attorney’s office, as an assistant U.S. attorney, and prosecutor in the Bronx County Assistant District Attorney’s Office. In addition, she assisted with the high-profile case against then-Attorney General Kathleen Kane.
“As a county and federal prosecutor, I prosecuted homicides, public corruption, domestic assaults, and led major gun and drug investigations,” said Stancu. “I built a reputation for being tough but fair. As a defense attorney, I am proud to protect the rights of defendants.”
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Stancu grew up in Lower Bucks County and in Montgomery County. She is the daughter of immigrants and only spoke Romanian on her first day of kindergarten. She became the first person in her family to complete high school, graduate from college, and earn a law degree, her campaign said.
“I have seen firsthand how the American Dream, that my parents were able to achieve, has slipped away for many in our community,” Stancu said in a statement. “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.”
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Stancu recently began serving as a defense attorney at Schatz and Stancu LLP in Central Bucks County.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
The district attorney’s office is the only remaining row office in Bucks County that is held by a Republican after recent wins by Democrats. Weintraub, a veteran prosecutor, is a popular political figure who easily won his race in 2017 and has received the national spotlight due to several high-profile crimes during his time in office.
Stancu was a key member of his prosecutorial team in recent years.
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“I am also running to unify the Bucks community. Like so much of America, Bucks County has become a house divided. It’s time to rebuild the bridge between our residents and our law enforcement community. I will fight for justice for every victim, survivor, witness, defendant, and police officer,” she said.
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