Judge Sharon V. Burrell is running for reelection to the Maryland 6th Judicial Circuit Court in Montgomery County in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

The race is nonpartisan. Five seats are on the ballot, and voters choose up to five candidates, according to BallotReady.

Burrell has served on the circuit court bench since 2008. Three other candidates are also in the race: Catherine H. McQueen, James J. Dietrich and Victor M. Del Pino.

Candidate information

  • Name: Sharon V. Burrell
  • Party: Nonpartisan
  • Born: Washington, D.C., 1957
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in English, Columbia University, 1979; juris doctor, Harvard University, 1982
  • Bar admissions: District of Columbia Bar, 1982; Maryland Bar, 1984
  • Recognition: Named to Maryland's Top 100 Women by the Daily Record in 2012, 2018 and 2021, according to the Maryland State Archives

Experience and public service

Burrell served as a law clerk for Judge Harry A. Cole on the Maryland Court of Appeals from 1982 to 1983, according to BallotReady. She then worked as an associate at Cable, McDaniel, Bowie & Bond from 1983 to 1987.

She served as an associate county attorney for Montgomery County from 1987 to 2008, her longest role before joining the circuit court bench, according to BallotReady.

In 1982, Burrell authored "Legal Malpractice of the Tax Attorney," published in volume 34 of The Tax Executive at page 259, according to the Maryland State Archives.

Beyond the courtroom, Burrell has held several leadership roles in the legal community. She served as president of the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association in 2005 and 2006 and became a fellow of the Maryland Bar Foundation in 2006, according to the Maryland State Archives.

Burrell has also served on multiple Judicial Council committees. She has been a member of the Equal Justice Committee since 2020 and chairs its Operations Subcommittee, a role she has held since 2023. She has served on the Judicial Ethics Committee since 2020 and joined the Education Committee in 2025, according to the Maryland State Archives. Earlier in her career, she served on the Inquiry Panel Committee of the Attorney Grievance Commission in 2000 and 2001.

On the issues

The Potomac Beacon did not receive issue responses from Burrell for this profile.

This profile was built from publicly available records, including the Maryland State Archives and BallotReady. The Potomac Beacon publishes candidate profiles as a public service. Profiles do not constitute endorsements.