John McCarthy, the longtime Montgomery County state's attorney, is seeking a sixth consecutive term in the Nov. 3, 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 election that year and again in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022, according to the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office website. He is certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady election data.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Office sought: Montgomery County State's Attorney
- Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
- Birthdate: March 3, 1952
- Birthplace: 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 (1974); juris doctor, University of Baltimore (1979)
Experience and public service
McCarthy was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1979 and began his legal career in private practice, according to the county website. He worked at the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office in 1980 and later served as a public defender in Montgomery County, according to BallotReady.
He taught at Good Counsel High School. He also served as an associate professor of paralegal studies at Montgomery College starting in 1979, according to the county website.
McCarthy joined the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office as an assistant state's attorney in 1982 and held that role until 1996, according to the county website. He then served as deputy state's attorney from 1996 to 2006, according to BallotReady, before voters elected him to lead the office.
His career outside the courtroom includes leadership roles in two professional organizations. McCarthy served as president of the Montgomery County Bar Association from 2004 to 2005 and president of the Maryland State's Attorneys' Association from 2009 to 2011, according to the county website. He was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2009.
McCarthy was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on March 3, 1952, according to the county website. He attended Camden Catholic High School in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where he served as student government president his senior year. He went on to attend Catholic University of America on a baseball scholarship between 1970 and 1974, then earned his juris doctor from the University of Baltimore in 1979.
On the issues
The Bethesda Beacon did not receive issue responses from McCarthy for this profile. Voters can contact the campaign through the Friends of John J. McCarthy committee listed with the Maryland State Board of Elections.
This profile was compiled from publicly available records. The Bethesda Beacon invites all candidates to participate in our election coverage.
