Register of Wills in Montgomery County, Maryland

2026 Primary Election

• Paul J. Dollahite — Register of Wills in Montgomery, Maryland

  Paul J. Dollahite is a Democratic candidate and the incumbent Register of Wills for Montgomery County, Maryland. A lifelong resident of the county, he was appointed to the office in December 2025 by the Circuit Court Judges to succeed the late Joseph M. Griffin. Dollahite is the first attorney to serve as the county's Register of Wills, bringing thirty years of legal experience to the role. Before his appointment, he spent 17 years as the Orphans' Court Administrator, advising on estates and trusts law. Earlier in his career, he worked in private practice. He holds degrees from the Catholic University of America.

• Barbara Ebel — Register of Wills in Montgomery, Maryland

  Barbara Ebel is a Democratic candidate running for Register of Wills in Montgomery County, Maryland. With over two decades of experience in public service and community outreach, Ebel serves as the Reemployment Program Director for Montgomery County America Job Centers under the Maryland Department of Labor. She was appointed to the Montgomery County Workforce Development Board and was elected At-Large to the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee in 2022. Her background includes serving as an Executive Board member for the Power52 Foundation. Ebel holds a Bachelor's Degree in Social Science from the University of Maryland University College.

• T. Dolores Reyes — Republican Central Committee in Legislative District 18, Maryland

  T. Dolores Reyes is a Republican candidate running for Register of Wills in Montgomery County, Maryland, in the 2026 election. Reyes filed her active candidacy for the primary in February 2026 and campaigns under the authorized committee "Citizens for Dolores Reyes". Based in Silver Spring, she is the only Republican to file in the Montgomery County race for this position, competing against one of the candidates vying for the local Democratic nomination. As a candidate in a historically deep-blue jurisdiction, Reyes seeks to serve the community by overseeing the county's probate and estate administration processes.

• Joseph M. Griffin — Register of Wills in Montgomery, Maryland

  The Honorable Joseph M. Griffin, a lifelong resident of Montgomery County, Maryland, spent decades in public service. As a Democrat, Griffin was elected to seven terms as the Montgomery County Register of Wills, serving from 1998 until his death in August 2025. Prior to his election, he worked as an Assistant Chief Deputy in the office starting in 1993. Griffin earned a bachelor's degree in business management from St. Francis College. Throughout his career, he served as President of the Maryland Register of Wills Association and was a state representative for the National College of Probate Judges.