Judge of the Orphans' Court in Worcester, Maryland

2026 Primary Election

• Martin A. Radinsky — Judge of the Orphans' Court in Worcester, Maryland

  Martin A. Radinsky is a Democratic candidate running for Judge of the Orphans' Court in Worcester County, Maryland. Based in the area, he is deeply engaged in local political organization. Radinsky was elected to serve as a member of the Worcester County Democratic Central Committee, representing Commissioner District 6 for a term that expires in 2026. During the 2022 election cycle, he filed as a candidate for the local party committee as well as the judiciary. Radinsky subsequently won the 2022 Democratic primary election for Worcester County Judge of the Orphans' Court after running entirely unopposed, officially securing his party's nomination.

• Mary Burgess — Judge of the Orphans' Court in Worcester, Maryland

  Mary Burgess is a dedicated Republican candidate running for Judge of the Orphans' Court in Worcester County, Maryland. As a longtime figure in local politics, Burgess has built a strong record of civic engagement. She brings valuable leadership experience from her previous role serving as the Co-Chair of the Worcester County Republican Central Committee. Demonstrating her ongoing dedication to countywide public service, Burgess has previously sought office as a Republican candidate for Clerk of the Circuit Court in both 2010 and 2014 before deciding to run for a seat on the Orphans' Court in the 2026 local primary election.

• Cheryl K. Jacobs — Judge of the Orphans' Court in Worcester, Maryland

  Cheryl K. Jacobs is a Republican candidate and attorney serving as a Judge of the Orphans' Court for Worcester County, Maryland, a position she has held since December 2018. She earned her Bachelor of Arts and her Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore. Admitted to the Maryland Bar, Jacobs has maintained an active legal career. Her professional affiliations include membership in the Worcester County Bar Association and she is a past president of the Women's Bar Association of Maryland. Additionally, Jacobs has worked as an adjunct law professor at Delaware Technical Community College and served as Vice President of the Ocean Pines Association.

• Lisa E. Mitchell — Judge of the Orphans' Court in Worcester, Maryland

  Lisa E. Mitchell is a Republican political candidate from Maryland who ran for election to the position of Judge of the Orphans' Court in Worcester County. Her campaign reflects a commitment to serving her community through the judicial system, where the Orphans' Court oversees matters related to probate and estates. As a participant in the Republican primary for this judicial role, Mitchell engaged with voters to seek one of the available seats on the court. While extensive public biographical details about her professional background are sparse, her presence on the ballot highlights her active participation in the civic and political process in Maryland.

• John Simms, III — Judge of the Orphans' Court in Worcester, Maryland

  John Simms, III is a Republican candidate running for Judge of the Orphans' Court in Worcester County, Maryland, in the 2026 election. Simms brings experience in local civic affairs, having been appointed by the Worcester County Commissioners to serve on the county's inaugural civilian Police Accountability Board and the Administrative Charging Committee in 2022. In the upcoming Republican primary election, Simms is competing against incumbent Cheryl Jacobs as well as challengers Mary Burgess and Lisa Mitchell. The winner will advance to face the Democratic nominee in the November general election for the Worcester County Orphans' Court seat.