ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Days after Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin announced he will not seek re-election, his chief lieutenant has kicked off a campaign to succeed him.
Gavin Holihan announced Monday he will run this year to become Lehigh County's top law enforcement officer.
- Republican Gavin Holihan announced his candidacy for Lehigh County district attorney Monday
- Outgoing District Attorney Jim Martin endorsed Holihan as his successor
- Holihan's biggest case in recent years may have been successfully defending a former South Whitehall Township police officer charged with voluntary manslaughter
Holihan, a Republican, became Martin's first assistant district attorney this month after having been a prosecutor in the office during the mid-1990s.
"Lehigh County is home for me and my family and it is an honor to serve our neighbors and keep our community safe,” Holihan said in a news release.
He already has one major endorsement — Martin.
“His experience speaks for itself," Martin said in the release. "No one knows this office and this courthouse better than Gavin Holihan. He’ll be able to hit the ground running Day 1, and he will serve the people of Lehigh County well.”
Holihan is the first candidate to enter the district attorney race, and it's unclear how many will throw their hat into the ring. Few candidates challenged Martin as an entrenched incumbent. Martin's last contested race came in 2011, and he won with 65% of the vote.
Prior to rejoining the office, Holihan was a criminal defense attorney. His most notable case in recent years may have been successfully defending former South Whitehall Township police officer Jonathan Roselle. The rookie officer fatally shot Joseph Santos on Hamilton Boulevard outside Dorney Park in July 2018.
Holihan argued Roselle justifiably feared for his safety when he fired five times at Santos. Santos, a muscular New Jersey man, had been jumping onto moving vehicles when Roselle responded to 911 calls.
The unarmed Santos ignored Roselle's orders to get on the ground and was approaching the officer while raising his hands. An autopsy later determined Santos had heroin in his system.
