John McCarthy, Montgomery County's five-term state's attorney, is seeking a sixth term in the 2026 general election. McCarthy filed as a Democrat on Feb. 25, 2025, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections. His campaign committee is listed as Friends of John J. McCarthy.

McCarthy has held the office since 2006, winning reelection in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022, according to the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office website.

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Office sought: Montgomery County State's Attorney
  • Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
  • Ballot status: Certified for the ballot
  • Born: March 3, 1952, Jersey City, New Jersey
  • Family: Father of four children, grandfather of five
  • Education:
  • High school diploma, Camden Catholic High School, Cherry Hill, New Jersey (1970)
  • Bachelor's degree, Catholic University of America (1970–1974, baseball scholarship)
  • J.D., University of Baltimore (1979)

Experience and public service

McCarthy's legal career in Maryland spans more than four decades. He was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1979. He began in private practice.

He then worked at the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office in 1980 before joining the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office as an assistant state's attorney in 1982, according to the county website. He held that role until 1996. He served as deputy state's attorney from 1996 to 2006, then won election as state's attorney.

McCarthy also taught at Good Counsel High School and served as a public defender in Montgomery County. He worked as an associate professor of paralegal studies at Montgomery College beginning in 1979, according to the county website.

In professional leadership, McCarthy served as president of the Montgomery County Bar Association from 2004 to 2005. He later served as president of the Maryland State's Attorney's Association in 2009 and 2011. He was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2009.

Earlier in life, McCarthy attended Catholic University of America on a baseball scholarship. He served as student government president during his senior year at Camden Catholic High School in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

This profile was compiled from publicly available records, including the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office website and the Maryland State Board of Elections candidate list. The Potomac Beacon did not interview the candidate for this article.