Democratic voters in Hampden County will choose the area’s next district attorney in Tuesday’s primary, and the winner will face big challenges once in office.

MORE: New England Public Radio’s primary election voter guide

There’s been no public polling for the Hampden DA race, so it’s difficult to know who’s ahead. Shawn Allyn, Hal Etkin, Anthony Gulluni, and Brett Vottero all have a variety of legal experience, but none have held elected office. All are lawyers, and all but Allyn have worked for the Hampden DA in the past.

Current District Attorney James Orenstein says the winner will have to focus on hiring and retaining qualified prosecutors, particularly for homicides.

“We have, presently pending, approximately twenty homicide cases that are scheduled [for trial] sometime between now and the end of next year,” says Orenstein. “We have a number of unsolved homicide cases, including cold cases that we continue to work on.”

Orenstein is not running for the post, and neither are any Republicans or Independents, so the winner of the Democratic Primary will be the next DA.