Attorney General of Maryland
James B. Rutledge III
CandidateR
- Race
- Attorney General of Maryland
- Election
- 2026-11-03
- Opponent
- Anthony G. Brown (D)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did0 statements · 0 votes
James Rutledge is the Republican nominee for Attorney General of Maryland. A Harford County attorney of about four decades, he served as a Bel Air town commissioner from November 2023 to October 2025 and is campaigning on crime, support for law enforcement and keeping the office from suing the federal government over policy disagreements.[1][2]
On the ballotAttorney General
2026-11-03
| Anthony G. Brown D | incumbent |
| James B. Rutledge III R | challenger |
Advanced from the June 23, 2026 Republican primary unopposed.
Biography
James Rutledge is the Republican nominee for Attorney General of Maryland. A Harford County attorney of about four decades, he served as a Bel Air town commissioner from November 2023 to October 2025 and is campaigning on crime, support for law enforcement and keeping the office from suing the federal government over policy disagreements.[1][2]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Rutledge graduated with honors from the University of Maryland School of Law and is licensed to practice in Maryland and Georgia, with more than 30 years of practice.[2][3]
In 2022 he served on the Judicial Nominating Commission for District and Circuit Court judges in Harford County.[3] He was elected a Bel Air town commissioner in November 2023 and served until October 2025.[1][3]
In their own words
Priorities
- Saying the Attorney General's office should not sue the federal government over policy disagreements: "We need to focus on Maryland, and litigating against Washington, D.C., or the powers that be in Washington, shouldn't be a knee-jerk reaction."[4]
- Greater support for law enforcement, including backing a Fraternal Order of Police-endorsed proposal on how officers are placed on prosecutors' "do not call" lists.[4]
- Stronger action to protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed, including against waste dumped into the Susquehanna River by other states.[4]
Campaign moneyNo FEC filing summary matched — state candidates file with their state, not the FEC.
Profile: /people/james-b-rutledge-iii
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Sources cited in this profile
- 1.Rutledge faces steep climb to unseat Brown in low-key attorney general's race · Maryland Matters · 2026-10-13 News report
- 2.James B. Rutledge, III · MarylandIQ · 2026-10-19 Reference
- 3.Why Jim · Friends of Jim Rutledge (campaign website) Candidate's own words
- 4.Rutledge faces steep climb to unseat Brown in low-key attorney general's race · Maryland Matters · 2026-10-13 News report