Judge of the Orphans' Court
Baltimore city, Maryland
My vote power
Above average
Election date
June 23, 2026 · Primary election
How do we calculate my vote power?
What goes into the rating: Representation: how much weight one vote carries here compared with a statewide vote — the smaller the district, the more each vote counts. Decisiveness: how likely this race is to be close, based on past results or current analyst ratings, plus the number of candidates.
Representation: Above average · 61 out of 100
This district is a good deal smaller than its state, so each vote here carries more weight than a vote in a statewide race. About 573,243 people live here.
Show the representation math
score = 50 + 50 × ln(state population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(50,000) = 50 + 50 × ln(6,206,011 ÷ 573,243) ÷ ln(50,000) = 61.01, measured against a statewide vote in MD (grades: 66+ high, 55+ above average, 33+ average, otherwise low; a statewide race is the 50 baseline)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No analyst ratings or past results for this contest yet.
Above average representation → My vote power: Above average.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information.
About this office
- Deciding trials in the county
- Ruling on evidence and setting sentences in criminal cases
- Deciding family, probate, and civil disputes
Affects: Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Civil Rights,
Candidates
Charles "Chuck" Bernstein
AdvancedDemocratic · Incumbent · advanced
Charles "Chuck" Bernstein is a Democratic judge on the Baltimore City Orphans' Court. Maryland's official government manual lists him as an incumbent judge with a term ending in 2026, and state election records list him as an active 2026 candidate.
Records: Legal Competence 1 for
Lewyn Scott Garrett
AdvancedDemocratic · Incumbent · advanced
Lewyn Scott Garrett is the Democratic chief judge of the Baltimore City Orphans' Court. Maryland's official government manual lists him as the court's incumbent chief judge with a term ending in 2026, and state election records list him as an active 2026 candidate.
Michele E. Loewenthal
AdvancedDemocratic · Incumbent · advanced
Michele E. Loewenthal is a Democratic judge on the Baltimore City Orphans' Court. Maryland's official government manual says she has served on the court since 2011, and state election records list her as an active 2026 candidate.
Records: Legal Competence 4 for
Results
Advanced · Certified
Winners: Michele E. Loewenthal (Democratic), Charles "Chuck" Bernstein (Democratic), Lewyn Scott Garrett (Democratic)
Source: elections.maryland.gov · researched September 12, 2026
Sources: elections.maryland.gov23