Attorney General of Maryland · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in the Maryland attorney general race?
Anthony Brown has the strongest record in the Maryland attorney general race. Anthony Brown scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Anthony Brown's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Jim Rutledge (6 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Anthony Brown
On the ballot as Anthony G. Brown
65 / 100
Public evidence on 10 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 63
Republican
Jim Rutledge
On the ballot as James B. Rutledge, III
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 6 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 56
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Anthony Brown
- On the record2021-01-06
Voted Nay on both House objections to the certified Arizona and Pennsylvania electors in January 2021.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
- Credit2023-04-05
Released a report on April 5, 2023 documenting abuse allegations against 156 Catholic clergy and others in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, involving more than 600 victims.
- Credit2017 to 2022
Was primary sponsor of 10 bills enacted while in the U.S. House, including the Military Justice Reporting Improvement Act.
Source: GovTrack, Anthony Brown
Jim Rutledge
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Anthony Brown. His campaign committee, Friends of Anthony Brown, is registered and active with the State Board of Elections. No ethics, court or campaign finance finding against him was found.
Source: State Board of Elections, 2026 general election candidate list
Jim Rutledge. His campaign committee, Friends of Jim Rutledge, is registered and active with the State Board of Elections. No ethics, court or campaign finance finding found.
Source: State Board of Elections, 2026 general election candidate list
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Anthony Brown. No public record found.
Jim Rutledge. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Anthony Brown. No public record found.
Jim Rutledge. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Anthony Brown. Delegate, lieutenant governor, member of Congress and attorney general since 1999, and an Army veteran, with no formal censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Anthony G. Brown
Jim Rutledge. No public record found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Anthony Brown. Army veteran who has held sworn state and federal office since 1999. Voted Nay on both January 2021 objections to the Arizona and Pennsylvania electors. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Anthony G. Brown, House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
Jim Rutledge. Served a sworn term as a Bel Air town commissioner, 2023 to 2025, per his Baltimore Sun questionnaire. No finding of misuse of office found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Anthony Brown. Attorney general since January 2023; three terms in the U.S. House (2017 to 2023), two terms as lieutenant governor and eight years in the House of Delegates.
Source: Ballotpedia, Anthony G. Brown
Jim Rutledge. Bel Air town commissioner, 2023 to 2025, and an attorney since graduating from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1986.
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Anthony Brown. Sitting attorney general; his campaign site describes offices he created, including a Civil Rights Division, and the expanded power of the Independent Investigations Division to prosecute police-involved deaths.
Source: Anthony Brown campaign site
Jim Rutledge. Published positions focus on gang prosecution and cyber fraud, with success measured by prosecutions and fewer victims; few specifics on the office's programs.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Anthony Brown. One channel found: campaign issue and record pages. Did not complete the Baltimore Sun pre-primary questionnaire or Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Anthony Brown campaign site, Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026, Ballotpedia, Anthony G. Brown
Jim Rutledge. One channel: answered the Baltimore Sun and Capital Gazette voter guide questionnaire. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026, Ballotpedia, James Rutledge
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Anthony Brown. Lives in Prince George's County, per his state filing, and has represented it in the House of Delegates (from 1999) and in Congress (2017 to 2023). Born in Huntington, New York.
Sources: State Board of Elections, 2026 general election candidate list, Ballotpedia, Anthony G. Brown
Jim Rutledge. Lists Phoenix, Maryland, as his hometown and Baltimore County as his jurisdiction; served on the Bel Air town board. Years of residence not found.
Sources: Baltimore Sun voter guide, May 20, 2026, State Board of Elections, 2026 general election candidate list
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Anthony Brown. Heads the Office of the Attorney General since January 2023 and earlier served two terms as lieutenant governor. Office staff size not found in sources opened.
Source: Ballotpedia, Anthony G. Brown
Jim Rutledge. No public record found.
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Anthony Brown. In April 2023 his office released a report on abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore naming 156 clergy and others. Primary sponsor of 10 bills enacted while in Congress.
Sources: Scripps News, as published by KGUN, April 5, 2023, GovTrack, Anthony Brown
Jim Rutledge. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Anthony Brown. Prior office: missed 84 of 3,162 House roll call votes, 2.7 percent, from January 2017 to December 2022.
Source: GovTrack, Anthony Brown
Jim Rutledge. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Anthony Brown. No public record found.
Jim Rutledge. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Anthony Brown. No public record found.
Jim Rutledge. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Anthony Brown. No public record found.
Jim Rutledge. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in the Maryland attorney general race?
Anthony Brown has the strongest record in the Maryland attorney general race. Anthony Brown scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Anthony Brown's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Jim Rutledge (6 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in the Maryland attorney general race in 2026?
Anthony Brown (Democratic, incumbent), Jim Rutledge (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Anthony Brown a good candidate for Attorney General?
Anthony Brown scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 10 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 63 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Jim Rutledge a good candidate for Attorney General?
Jim Rutledge has public evidence on 6 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Maryland race scored, and the Maryland 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.