Xolaaz is making an argument that comes down to one thing: people in Harrison County report crimes and never hear anything back. He says he plans to fix that first, and for the District Attorney candidate who helped set off the recall of the last DA, it’s a pitch with some history behind it.
The Harrison Independent sent questionnaires to select candidates ahead of the November 1st election. These are Xolaaz’s answers, edited for length.
The Background
Xolaaz says he’s been around Harrison County since mid-2023, when it was still in development. He previously served as Chief Assistant District Attorney over the Public Integrity and Criminal Office, and is now a Partner at A&O Shearman, a Jamestown Police Cadet, and a LESTA student awaiting his final examination for certification.
He is also the person who filed the recall petition against former District Attorney FrancisHUnderwood, after being fired from the office shortly after the Independent Commission on the Judiciary moved to assign the case against County Executive bob_govv to a special prosecutor. Underwood has denied the petition’s account, saying he never ordered anyone to drop the case and calling the effort a response to legitimate discipline. Voters recalled him in September.
Xolaaz’s questionnaire doesn’t mention any of that. He leads with his work instead.
The Pitch
“Our residents are calling for help and not getting an answer,” Xolaaz wrote. “Somebody gets robbed, murdered and sends in a tipline report and never hears back.”
That frames nearly everything else he says. His biggest problem for the county is crimes going uncharged and cases not being filed, and he says the effect goes past individual victims. “When people get away with things, nobody puts their trust into the system, including our own cops.”
His fix, in his words, is simple: “file good cases, file them on time, then tell people what happened to their tipline submissions.” He also says he would make sure the office isn’t “operating in a biased or politically motivated way, not filing cases because the time is politically convenient.”
Day One
Xolaaz says his first act would be to get back to everyone the office has left waiting. Victims who reported something and never heard back would hear from him first, followed by every case that’s ready and fully investigated getting filed.
“The best way to rebuild trust is to show it in the work, not by putting off the people’s cases,” he wrote.
What One Term Can Do
Asked what can realistically get done during his term, Xolaaz calls the goal “fixing the foundation”: getting the office caught up on reports, making sure every tipline submission gets an answer, and filing every case that’s ready. He promises to give the office “every resource I can” and wants the next DA to inherit “an office that is already highly efficient and working, not an office they have to build from scratch.”
He skipped the question on what the last Council or administration got right and what he’d do differently.
The Closing Argument
Asked why voters should pick him over the other candidates, Xolaaz pointed to responsiveness and fairness: a District Attorney “who answers when you reach out, files the cases that matter, and treats everyone equally and with respect under the law.” His slogan, “Justice, Impartiality and Accountability,” is, in his words, “a promise I’ll keep to you on how I will run this office.”
On the longarm ban in Jamestown, he said he doesn’t support it.
“Let’s win this election together, Harrison County,” he added.
Where the Race Stands
The Harrison Independent’s election outlook currently rates the three-way District Attorney race a toss-up between Xolaaz, Acting District Attorney ElloM8HowAreYou, and Chief of the Criminal Division M_ysticWavezzz. Ratings are editorial assessments, not endorsements or projections.
Voting runs from October 30th at 7:00 PM CT through November 1st at 6:00 PM CT.
This is part of The Harrison Independent’s “Into the Campaign Of…” series.