Worcester County Judge of the Orphans' Court
Worcester County · 2026-11-03 · 3 seats
Four active candidates are currently listed for three Worcester County Orphans' Court seats: Mary F. Burgess, Cheryl K. Jacobs, Martin A. Radinsky and John Simms, III.
Jacobs is a sitting Worcester County Orphans' Court judge. The other current judges, Michael T. Diffendal and Linda M. Hess, are not listed as candidates in the 2026 general election.
What this office does
The Orphans' Court is Maryland's probate court. It supervises the administration of estates, approves administration accounts and certain payments from estates, and resolves disputes involving wills, heirs, personal representatives and other probate matters.
Worcester County has three Orphans' Court judges. They are elected to four-year terms and, unlike Orphans' Court judges in Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Prince George's County, Worcester's judges are not required by the Maryland Constitution to be attorneys.
Candidates
Listed alphabetically by surname. Each summary is written only from the official record and the candidate's own campaign material — never from what anyone else says about them. Other coverage is listed under each candidate and labelled by what kind of source it is.
Mary F. Burgess
Republican
Burgess advanced from the Republican primary with 3,034 votes (27.60%).
Worcester County currently lists Burgess as a member of the county Police Accountability Board. County records show that she was among the board's original appointees in 2022 and was reappointed in 2025.
The State Board of Elections links to a professional real-estate biography for Burgess, but this research pass did not locate a separate 2026 judicial campaign platform. The summary therefore stays with the official election and public-service record.
Cheryl K. Jacobs Incumbent
Republican
Jacobs advanced from the Republican primary with 2,660 votes (24.20%).
Maryland Courts and the Maryland state manual list Jacobs as a sitting Worcester County Orphans' Court judge alongside Michael T. Diffendal and Linda M. Hess.
No 2026 campaign site or questionnaire with Jacobs's current priorities was located in this research pass. This entry therefore does not infer a judicial philosophy from cases, endorsements or third-party commentary.
Martin A. Radinsky
Democratic
Radinsky was unopposed in the Democratic primary and received 2,841 votes.
Maryland's state manual lists him as a Worcester County Democratic Central Committee member for Commissioner District 6, with the committee term expiring in 2026.
No 2026 Orphans' Court campaign site or questionnaire with Radinsky's priorities was located in this research pass. This entry is limited to the official election and public-service record.
John Simms, III
Republican
Simms advanced from the Republican primary with 2,755 votes (25.06%).
Worcester County currently lists Simms on both the Police Accountability Board and the Administrative Charging Committee. County records show he has served on the accountability structure since its 2022 launch and was reappointed in 2025.
No 2026 Orphans' Court campaign site or questionnaire with Simms's priorities was located in this research pass, so the draft does not extend beyond the official election and public-service record.
How to vote in this race
Vote for up to three candidates. There are four candidates for three seats.
Sources for this race
Official record
2026 general-election candidate list — Worcester County
Official 2026 primary results — Worcester County
Orphans' Court — Maryland Courts
Orphans' Court judges — Maryland Courts