Maryland judicial vacancies are filled by the governor, who must choose from a short list of nominees screened by a judicial nominating commission. As of mid-2026, more than a dozen seats are open across the state’s four court levels: the Supreme Court of Maryland, the Appellate Court of Maryland, the circuit courts, and the District Court. Most vacancies trace to retirements or to a lower-court judge being elevated to a higher bench.1Maryland Courts. Judicial Vacancy
Where the Open Seats Are
One seat on the Appellate Court of Maryland is open following the retirement of Judge Donald E. Beachley. At the circuit court level, vacancies exist in Baltimore City, Baltimore County (three seats), and Montgomery County. The District Court has the longest list of openings, spanning Allegany, Anne Arundel (three), Charles, Howard, Montgomery (two), Prince George’s (four), and Washington counties.1Maryland Courts. Judicial Vacancy
Not every vacancy is accepting new applications. Some are open through June 2026. Others are closed to new applicants because the nominating commission has already sent names to the governor or because the seat is being filled from an existing applicant pool. Several current openings in Prince George’s, Baltimore, and Anne Arundel counties are being processed from that pool rather than through a fresh round.1Maryland Courts. Judicial Vacancy
Interest levels vary sharply. The Appellate Court vacancy drew 23 applicants, a Montgomery County District Court seat drew 20, and an Anne Arundel County District Court seat drew 17. An Allegany County District Court vacancy drew four, and a Charles County seat drew five.1Maryland Courts. Judicial Vacancy
How a Vacancy Gets Filled
The Maryland Constitution gives the governor the power to fill judicial vacancies but says little about how candidates are identified. Since 1970, every governor has used an executive order to set up judicial nominating commissions that screen applicants and recommend names. The current version is Governor Wes Moore’s Executive Order 01.01.2023.04.2Maryland Courts. Judicial Selection
The Nominating Commissions
Sixteen trial court nominating commissions cover circuit court and District Court vacancies, one for each commission district. Separate commissions handle appellate vacancies. Each trial court commission has thirteen members, all appointed by the governor, who also designates the chair. Four of the thirteen seats go to nominees of the local bar association. Members serve five-year terms that extend until a new governor appoints successors.3Maryland State Archives. Trial Courts Judicial Nominating Commissions
From Application to Short List
When a vacancy opens, the Administrative Office of the Courts notifies the relevant commission, which advertises the opening through bar associations, newspapers, and the judiciary’s website. Applicants submit a Confidential Personal Data Questionnaire.4Maryland Courts. Judicial Application After the deadline, the names are published and the public is invited to submit written comments on candidates.5Maryland Courts. Revised Administrative Order Adopting Rules of Procedure for Judicial Nominating Commissions
The commission interviews each applicant and evaluates them on integrity, maturity, judicial temperament, diligence, legal knowledge, intellectual ability, professional experience, community service, and sensitivity to gender, racial, and ethnic diversity.6Maryland Courts. Judicial Nominating Commissions Chart A nominee needs a majority of the members present, cast by secret written ballot. The commission then sends the governor a list of at least three candidates it finds “legally and professionally most fully qualified for judicial office.” If fewer than three people apply, the vacancy has to be readvertised.7Maryland State Archives. Judicial Nominating Commissions
The Applicant Pool
Nominees who make the commission’s list but are not chosen by the governor go into an applicant pool. For two years after their names were submitted, they can be reconsidered for any new vacancy on the same court without going back through the full process. The governor can appoint from a prior list without reconvening the commission, which speeds the filling of later vacancies on the same bench.8Maryland Courts. Selection and Retention of Judges
The Governor’s Choice and Senate Confirmation
The governor must choose from the commission’s list. For District Court and appellate seats, the choice must also be confirmed by a majority of the full Maryland Senate, with all confirmation proceedings held in public.9Justia. Maryland Constitution, Article IV, Section 41D Circuit court appointments do not require Senate confirmation. Instead, the appointed circuit judge serves until the next election and qualification of a successor.8Maryland Courts. Selection and Retention of Judges
Who Can Apply
The Maryland Constitution sets uniform baseline requirements for judges at every level. A candidate must be a United States citizen and Maryland citizen, a registered Maryland voter, a resident of the state for at least five years and of the relevant geographic area for at least six months, at least 30 years old, and a member of the Maryland Bar. The constitution also requires judges to be “most distinguished for integrity, wisdom and sound legal knowledge.” Judges may serve only until age 70.10Maryland Courts. Qualifications of a Maryland Judge
What Happens After Appointment
How long a Maryland judge serves, and whether voters get a say, depends on the court.
Appellate Judges
Judges on the Supreme Court of Maryland and the Appellate Court of Maryland are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, then face uncontested retention elections. Voters cast a yes-or-no vote on whether the judge should continue. If a majority votes no, or the vote is tied, the seat becomes vacant. Retention elections happen at the first general election after one year of service and every ten years after that.8Maryland Courts. Selection and Retention of Judges
Circuit Court Judges
Circuit court judges serve fifteen-year terms and are the only Maryland judges who face contested elections. An appointed circuit judge holds the seat until the next election cycle, at which point anyone meeting the constitutional qualifications can challenge them, including candidates who have never been vetted by a nominating commission. Nominations run through closed party primaries, so candidates typically cross-file to appear on both major parties’ ballots. In the general election, candidates appear without party labels.8Maryland Courts. Selection and Retention of Judges
The contested system has produced real turnover. Since 2000, about a dozen appointed circuit judges have been defeated in general elections.11WTOP. Workgroup’s Report Calls for Doing Away With Contested Elections of Circuit Judges In 2020 alone, sitting judges lost in Prince George’s, Charles, and Howard counties, and a Montgomery County race saw four incumbents spend nearly $300,000 to fend off a single challenger.12Maryland Matters. Final Vote Count Shows a Third Sitting Judge Ousted in Judicial Elections
District Court Judges
District Court judges serve ten-year terms and never face voters. When a term expires before the judge turns 70, the governor reappoints them with Senate confirmation for another ten-year term or until they reach 70, whichever comes first.9Justia. Maryland Constitution, Article IV, Section 41D
A Pending Change for Circuit Court Elections
The contested election system for circuit judges is under active challenge in the legislature. In 2024, the Legislative Committee Workgroup to Study Judicial Selection, co-chaired by Judge Kathleen Dumais and former Judge Alexander Williams, released a 63-page report recommending that contested elections be replaced with retention elections like those used for appellate judges. The workgroup pointed to campaign fundraising concerns, since nearly all contributions to circuit court candidates come from lawyers who practice before them, and to safety risks for judges canvassing in their communities.13Maryland Matters. Workgroup’s Report Calls for Doing Away With Contested Elections of Circuit Judges Maryland Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew J. Fader testified in February 2025 in support of ending contested elections.14The Daily Record. MD Bill Would End Open Partisan Elections for State Circuit Court Judges
Opponents argue the elections are a check on an insular appointment system. Baltimore attorney William H. “Billy” Murphy Jr., who won a circuit court seat as a challenger more than 40 years ago, has said that without the electoral path the bench could revert to being “predominantly white, predominantly male and predominantly Democratic.”15The Daily Record. Judges Lose Elections in Howard, Charles Counties Delegate Robin Grammer Jr. has called the appointment process “clubby.”16Capital News Service. Maryland Considers Shake-Up in How Judges Are Picked
Two bills in 2025, HB0044 and HB0778, did not advance.16Capital News Service. Maryland Considers Shake-Up in How Judges Are Picked The idea returned in 2026 as HB0150, sponsored by Delegate Cardin. It proposes a constitutional amendment to replace contested circuit court elections with retention elections and to shorten circuit court terms from fifteen to ten years. Because it would amend the constitution, it would need voter approval at a general election. A hearing was held in February 2026, but as of mid-2026 the bill has not advanced out of the House Judiciary Committee.17Maryland General Assembly. HB0150 – Circuit Court Judges – Selection and Retention Elections Until the law changes, the fifteen-year term and the contested-election path remain in place for circuit court judges.