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Maryland judicial elections

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Judges in Maryland participate in retention elections or nonpartisan elections, depending on the level of court. Judicial elections are only held in even-numbered years.[1]

Maryland is one of seven states that use nonpartisan elections to initially select judges and then use retention elections to determine whether judges should remain on the bench. To read more about how states use judicial elections to select judges across the country, click here.

Supreme Court Appellate Court Circuit Court Orphans' Court
Retention election - 10-year terms Retention election - 10-year terms Nonpartisan election of judges[1] - 15-year terms Nonpartisan election of judges[1] - Four-year terms

Elections

Election rules

Primary election

Circuit and orphans' court judges compete in a partisan primary for the Republican and/or Democratic nomination. Candidates may cross-file with both parties. The candidates who receive the most votes from each primary advance to the general election to compete against each other, as well as any minor party or independent candidates.[2][3]

An example of the elections process for the circuit courts provided by the Maryland State Board of Elections:

“
  • In Circuit X, there are two incumbent judges who must stand for election. They are candidates A and B, a Democrat and Republican respectively. They both file Certificates of Candidacy to appear on both the Democratic and Republican Primary ballots. Candidate C, a Democrat and qualified member of the Bar also files a Certificate of Candidacy to appear on both the Democratic and Republican primary ballots.
  • In the primary election, the Democratic Party selects candidates A and C (i.e. those two candidates received the most votes) and the Republican Party selects candidates A and B.
  • In the general election candidates A, B, and C all will appear on the ballot since they each won one or both of the primary elections in which they appeared on the ballot.
  • On the general election ballot, in addition to candidates A, B, and C, candidate D will also appear on the ballot. Candidate D is a member of the Green Party and a qualified member of the Bar and received the Green Party's nomination.
  • The two candidates who receive the most votes will be elected to office.

[4]

”
—Maryland State Board of Elections[3]

General election

Appellate judges stand for retention in the general election. Trial court judge candidates who advanced from the partisan primary run in the general election without party affiliation.[5]

See also

Maryland Judicial Selection More Courts
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Courts in Maryland
Maryland Supreme Court
Maryland Court of Appeals
Elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017
Gubernatorial appointments
Judicial selection in Maryland
Federal courts
State courts
Local courts

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Partisan primaries, nonpartisan general elections
  2. ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Judicial Candidates," accessed April 7, 2014
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Maryland State Board of Elections, "2012 Elections - Circuit Court, Judicial Candidates," accessed June 17, 2014
  4. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  5. ↑ Maryland Election Law, "§ 9-210. Arrangement of ballots — Candidates and offices," accessed April 7, 2014
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Judicial elections by state
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Maryland courts

Federal courts:

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Maryland • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Maryland

State courts:

Maryland Supreme Court • Appellate Court of Maryland • Maryland District Courts • Maryland Circuit Courts • Maryland Orphans' Court

State resources:

Courts in Maryland • Maryland judicial elections • Judicial selection in Maryland

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