Prince George’s state’s attorney primary is most expensive in MD

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A competitive race between an incumbent with deep establishment connections, a younger progressive challenger and a lesser-known career prosecutor has made Prince George’s County home to Maryland’s most expensive primary election for state’s attorney.

Incumbent State’s Attorney Tara Jackson raised $567,014 as of June 7, state campaign finance data show, by far the most money of any candidate in a contested primary for state’s attorney.

“The modes of communication are varied and expensive,” Jackson told The Daily Record. “You have to try and keep up.”

In the five contested primaries for state’s attorney — in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Prince George’s and Washington counties — women have dominated fundraising. The only man in the top five is longtime Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger, who is fighting to keep his job against better-funded challenger Sarah David.

David, Maryland’s deputy state prosecutor, has raised the second-most after Jackson. Backed by the Baltimore-area legal community, David has raised $497,031. David has also spent more than any other state’s attorney candidate, at more than $430,000.

One of Jackson’s challengers, Prince George’s County Council Member Wanika Fisher, is in third place, having raised $382,275.

Despite a long career in the county government — including stints as acting county executive and chief administrative officer — this is Jackson’s first time being on a ballot. She was appointed to the post last year after serving as acting county executive following Angela Alsobrooks’ 2024 election to the U.S. Senate.

She is facing Prince George’s County Council Member Wanika Fisher and Charles County Deputy State’s Attorney Karen Piper Mitchell.

Early voting is underway, and election day is Tuesday, June 23. No Republicans are running, so the winner will become state’s attorney after the formality of the November election.

Fisher did not respond to a request for comment. Mitchell was not available for comment before the time of publication.

The race has divided some of Maryland’s most prominent political figures.

Jackson enjoys the support of Gov. Wes Moore, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy. She’s also been endorsed by the local teachers’ union.

Fisher, a former state delegate, has more endorsements than Jackson among organized labor and progressive organizations, including CASA in Action. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Maryland House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk and former Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler have also endorsed her.

Mitchell, who has served in Charles County for more than two decades, raised $56,435 and spent $37,646.

In the home stretch of the race, the Working Families Party PAC has spent more than $230,000 on Fisher’s behalf this month (it has also spent more than $220,000 for David). Fisher’s own campaign has spent $332,068, while Jackson has spent $379,755.

“I really attribute it to the fact that people have gotten a chance to know me,” Jackson said. “People believe that I can do this job and I think that is what’s driven the fundraising.”