Judge of the Orphans' Court in Caroline, Maryland

2026 Primary Election

• Ellery Adams — Judge of the Orphans' Court in Caroline, Maryland

  J. Ellery Adams is a Republican candidate running for Judge of the Orphans' Court in Caroline County, Maryland. Born in Trappe in 1942, Adams brings decades of civic leadership to the bench. He has served as an Orphans' Court Judge since December 2014. Before his judicial career, Adams was President of the Preston Town Commission and a member of the Goldsboro Town Council. He is an ordained minister, a licensed general contractor, and the owner of Jensenstead Senior Apartments. Deeply rooted in his community, Adams has also served as a volunteer firefighter and a chaplain for the Maryland Defense Force.

• Jeff Porter — Judge of the Orphans' Court in Caroline, Maryland

  Jeff Porter is a Republican politician from Maryland currently serving as a Judge of the Orphans' Court for Caroline County. He successfully ran for election to the Caroline County Orphans' Court in 2022, advancing from the July Republican primary and winning the general election in November. As an incumbent, his current term on the court extends through December 31, 2026. Porter is seeking re-election and has officially filed to run in the 2026 Republican primary to retain his position as a Caroline County Judge of the Orphans' Court. He is backed by the Friends of Jeff Porter campaign committee and currently resides in Preston, Maryland.

• Hugh Smith — Republican Central Committee in Caroline, Maryland

  Hugh Smith is a Republican candidate running for Judge of the Orphans' Court in Caroline County, Maryland, in the 2026 election. A resident of Denton, Maryland, Smith has been active in his local community's civic and political affairs. In the 2026 Republican primary, he ran unopposed for the Orphans' Court nomination, securing his position on the upcoming general election ballot. In addition to his judicial campaign, Smith also filed as a candidate for the Caroline County Republican Central Committee. Smith previously entered local politics as the Republican nominee for Caroline County Treasurer during the 2006 general election.