Dorchester County, MD elected officials: county council or commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Dorchester County: 17 seats on 7 elected bodies. 14 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
County Council or Board of County Commissioners
Dorchester County Council
Each member is elected by the voters of their district.
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 12 local governments in Dorchester County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.
Kind of government
Census count (2022)
Listed on this page
County government
1
1
Cities, towns, villages and townships
9
0
School districts (school boards)
0
1
Special districts (elected boards)
2
0
Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).
About these counts
The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments (1 in Dorchester County), though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.
Who lives in Dorchester County
32,754people
43.5median ageU.S.: 38.9
$61,839 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
17.1%below the U.S.: 12.5%
19.4%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$262,400median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.7%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
4.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
5.5%U.S.: 8.4%
56%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
28.9%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 6.1% · White 60.7% · Black 24.8% · Asian 1.2% · Other or more than one race 7.2% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)
Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).
About these figures
The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.
Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.
Jobs in Dorchester County
4.0%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.8%. Maryland: 3.5%.
620people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
15,064people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
15,684in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
4.0%
620
15,064
15,684
August 2026
4.4%
700
15,126
15,826
July 2026
4.7%
742
14,939
15,681
June 2026
4.1%
687
16,098
16,785
May 2026
4.5%
728
15,574
16,302
April 2026
4.9%
771
14,880
15,651
March 2026
5.1%
802
14,948
15,750
February 2026
6.0%
914
14,427
15,341
January 2026
5.6%
855
14,461
15,316
December 2025
4.3%
686
15,451
16,137
November 2025
4.6%
756
15,549
16,305
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
4.8%
753
15,065
15,818
August 2025
4.9%
762
14,919
15,681
July 2025
4.6%
729
15,222
15,951
June 2025
4.2%
707
15,982
16,689
May 2025
3.9%
625
15,473
16,098
April 2025
3.7%
579
15,077
15,656
March 2025
4.3%
689
15,429
16,118
February 2025
4.5%
696
14,694
15,390
January 2025
4.5%
680
14,478
15,158
December 2024
3.6%
557
14,838
15,395
November 2024
3.8%
599
15,037
15,636
October 2024
3.6%
575
15,309
15,884
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
4.4%
697
15,213
15,910
2024
3.7%
575
15,083
15,658
2023
2.6%
393
15,010
15,403
2022
3.5%
532
14,787
15,319
2021
5.4%
831
14,599
15,430
2020
6.5%
1,047
15,063
16,110
2019
4.5%
718
15,327
16,045
2018
5.1%
792
14,688
15,480
2017
5.7%
889
14,640
15,529
2016
6.1%
956
14,769
15,725
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Maryland's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.9% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.
Crime reported in Dorchester County
331.4 per 100,0002025. Maryland: 358.0.
1,880.2 per 100,0002025. Maryland: 1,819.7.
2murders2025, 110 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
110
331.4
624
1,880.2
2024
98
293.2
564
1,687.5
2023
135
410.0
661
2,007.5
2020
207
652.1
772
2,432.1
2019
136
428.3
877
2,761.9
2018
152
477.5
827
2,598.0
2017
181
562.6
1,186
3,686.2
2016
143
444.9
918
2,856.0
By police agency (3)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Dorchester County Sheriff's Office
2025
31
93
17,784
Cambridge Police Department
2025
65
488
13,305
Hurlock Police Department
2025
14
43
2,099
Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Maryland · the U.S.
Police staffing
2.53 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 33,188 people.
84sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
16civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Dorchester County Sheriff's Office
40
7
17,784
Cambridge Police Department
33
8
13,305
Hurlock Police Department
11
1
2,099
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
84
2.53
16
3
2024
85
2.54
10
3
2023
86
2.61
10
3
2022
82
2.52
9
3
2021
82
2.55
10
3
2020
89
2.80
8
3
2019
84
2.65
10
3
2018
93
2.92
9
3
2017
92
2.86
9
3
2016
93
2.89
8
3
Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.
Quick answers
Who is the Dorchester County Clerk of the Circuit Court?
Amy J. Craig (Republican) is the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Dorchester County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dorchester County Chief Judge of the Orphans' Court, District 1?
George R. Ames, Jr. (Democratic) is the Chief Judge of the Orphans' Court, District 1 of Dorchester County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dorchester County Judge of the Orphans' Court, District 2?
Bernard Dryden (Republican) is the Judge of the Orphans' Court, District 2 of Dorchester County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dorchester County Judge of the Orphans' Court, District 2?
Richard M. Price (Republican) is the Judge of the Orphans' Court, District 2 of Dorchester County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dorchester County Register of Wills?
Teresa Dayton (Terry) Wheatley (Democratic) is the Register of Wills of Dorchester County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dorchester County Sheriff?
James W. Phillips, Jr. (Democratic) is the Sheriff of Dorchester County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Dorchester County State's Attorney?
Amanda R. Leonard (Republican) is the State's Attorney of Dorchester County, Maryland. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Dorchester County commissioners?
George L. (Lenny) Pfeffer, Jr. (County Council Member, District 4); Michael W. Detmer (County Council Member, District 5); Robert E. Kramer, Jr. (County Council Member, District 1); William V. Nichols (County Council Member, District 2); Richard C. (Ricky) Travers (County Council Member, District 3).
Who is on the Dorchester County School Board?
Sheri Robinson Hubbard (District 4); Talibah L. Chikwendu (District 2); Brandy Dawson Cumberland (District 1); Christine B. LaMonica (District 3); Christopher M. Wheedleton (District 5).
What is the population of Dorchester County?
About 32,754 people, with a median age of 43.5; the median household income is $61,839 and 17.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Dorchester County?
4.0% in September 2026 (preliminary): 620 people unemployed in a labor force of 15,684, against 4.8% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Dorchester County?
12 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 9 municipal and 2 special district governments.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Maryland Manual On-Line published by the Maryland State Archives; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.
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