Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley announced Friday that she will step down effective Aug. 31.
Doorley made the announcement in her weekly newsletter.
“This letter is bittersweet,” she wrote in her opening.
The decision was expected, though the date wasn’t previously known. Doorley told the state Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct back in March that “it’s time for a new DA” — facing censure over her berating of a Webster police officer during a 2024 traffic stop.
The timing of her departure likely means that Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, will be able to name an interim replacement, with the election to be held next year. That’s the reading of the local Board of Elections.
This is the scenario the Monroe County GOP hoped to avoid. Doorley is the last Republican in an elected, countywide executive office.
If Doorley had vacated the seat by Monday, Aug. 4, political parties could have put forward candidates and the election would have been held in November. Doorley has sent notice of her resignation to the governor’s office, officials said, and Hochul's team has begun discussions with county leaders about who to appoint to the role.
In her Friday letter, Doorley recounted highlights of her 33 years in the office, the past 13 at the helm. She was elected to the post four times.
“The people of Monroe County have seen me at my best and worst,” she wrote, noting that she met her husband, raised her daughters, lost her parents, battled cancer “and found my purpose” in the DA’s office. “And even when I’ve made mistakes, you never stopped holding me accountable or giving me grace.”
In the letter, Doorley recounts several murder cases that have stuck with her, thanks law enforcement, recalls officers assaulted and slain, and highlights reforms made during her tenure. She also thanked her family.
“To the people of Monroe County, thank you,” she wrote. “For your faith, your candor, your partnership. I leave this office with a full heart, and with the hope that my service made a difference.”
There is no mention of the Webster case or the fallout, and she does not address the question of her replacement. The full letter is posted below.
