Sarah David wins race for Baltimore County state’s attorney

Sarah David has officially defeated 19-year incumbent Scott Shellenberger in the Democratic primary for Baltimore County state’s attorney after county election officials certified the results of the June 23 election on Monday.

The 41-year-old prosecutor’s victory was all but certain after she built a 2-to-1 lead on election night. But Shellenberger did not publicly concede, and David held off declaring victory. She maintained a commanding margin as the Baltimore County Board of Elections counted tens of thousands of additional mail ballots over several days.

David finished with 54% of the vote, compared to 27% for Shellenberger. Lauren Lipscomb, the head of Baltimore City’s Conviction Integrity Unit, received 20%.

“I’m just really grateful to all of the residents of Baltimore County for choosing change,” David said in a phone call. “I’m very excited for the opportunity to lead a modern office with accountability, transparency and integrity for the whole county.”

No Republican or independent candidates have filed to run in the state’s attorney’s race, so David does not have a challenger for November’s general election. The Pikesville native is on track to be sworn into office in January, becoming just the third person in more than 50 years to serve as the county’s top prosecutor.

Shellenberger, who campaigned as a tough-on-crime prosecutor, has held the post since 2007. He narrowly beat progressive challenger Robbie Leonard in the 2022 Democratic primary. As he sought a sixth term, he touted his experience, a decline in felony crime during his tenure and his aggressive prosecution of violent offenders.

Shellenberger, 67, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

David said she emailed Shellenberger two days after the election to thank him for his years in office and begin planning a transition. She said announcements on the transition process would be made in the coming weeks.

The race for state’s attorney grew contentious as the three candidates sparred for months over how to modernize the office, handle sexual assault cases and prosecute juvenile crime.

David, a political corruption and police misconduct prosecutor, announced an anti-establishment candidacy in early 2025, by which time she had already raised $105,000. By the end of the campaign, she had outraised Shellenberger more than 3 to 1 and Lipscomb almost 29 to 1.

An outside PAC affiliated with the progressive Working Families Party spent $1.3 million supporting David, funding 10 rounds of mailers, streaming and digital ads, and field operations in the final weeks of the campaign.

David was further bolstered by a high-profile endorsement from Gov. Wes Moore, as well as support from current and former county officials and state legislators. Moore campaigned with David on election day outside a Randallstown elementary school.

Shellenberger, meanwhile, was endorsed by U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, the county’s police union, and Councilman Julian Jones, the Democratic nominee for county executive.

Lipscomb, 50, pitched herself as the more moderate and experienced of Shellenberger’s challengers.

Banner reporter Danny Zawodny contributed to this article.