The calendar may have recently turned to 2025, but that doesn’t mean some people aren’t already looking to 2026. One such individual is the well-connected Sarah David, who has been raising money behind the scenes to unseat longtime Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger in next year’s Democratic primary.

David, the deputy Maryland state prosecutor, has collected $105,000, according to campaign finance disclosures. Shellenberger, narrowly elected to a fifth term in 2022, has about $50,000 on hand. And he has yet to repay the $65,000 he loaned himself in the last election cycle.

Expected to formally launch her campaign in the spring, David told The Baltimore Banner she was grateful for the support she’s already received.

“I’m running for state’s attorney to bring leadership, solutions and a justice system that works for the people in Baltimore County, where I was born and raised,” David said. “I look forward to this campaign, and to the chance to engage with residents around Baltimore who all want fairness, accountability and justice with integrity.”

David, 39, graduated Johns Hopkins University in 2007 — the same year Shellenberger, 65, first took office. In addition to her law degree from the University of Maryland, David also has a master’s degree from Queens University in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

She worked for two years in the New York Police Department’s counterterrorism unit before going to law school. Upon graduation from Maryland in 2013, David worked at the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office. She has been in the Maryland state prosecutor’s office since 2018, where she’s worked on high-profile cases, including that of Roy McGrath, former Gov. Hogan’s embattled chief of staff.

While $105,000 is not enough to run a full-fledged campaign, the early total suggests David has strong support in the legal community. Government lawyers like Amanda La Forge, chief counsel for Gov. Wes Moore’s office, and Baltimore City Solicitor Ebony Thompson have donated modest sums to David’s campaign. Attorneys from white-shoe firms like Venable and Saul Ewing also gave. Lydia Lawless, former Maryland Bar Counsel (the position that investigates attorneys accused of misconduct), is David’s campaign treasurer and gave $1,000.

Also notable is a $2,000 gift from former Baltimore City State’s Attorney Gregg Bernstein, who hired David in her first job as a prosecutor. Bernstein, also a Democrat, served one term before losing reelection to Marilyn Mosby.

Reached by phone, Bernstein called David a first-rate prosecutor.

“You can see from her career path she’s dedicated herself to public service,” he said. “I believe I know what is required to be successful in this important position, and I certainly believe she has the skill, the vision and the commitment to make the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office one of the premier prosecutor’s offices in Maryland.”

Entering his 17th year on the job, there is reason to suspect Shellenberger is vulnerable. He eked out the primary election, which is really more like the general in largely Democratic Baltimore County, by about 1,100 votes against Robbie Leonard, a progressive Democrat who was highly critical of Shellenberger’s job performance, specifically his handling of sexual assault cases.

Reached by phone, Shellenberger pointed out how early it is in the 2026 election cycle and dismissed the fundraising gap as a product of being focused on his work leading the state’s attorney’s office.

“I am concentrating all my efforts on doing my job, running the office that I’ve run for the last 17 years and making sure we keep the citizens of Baltimore County safe,” he said.

After winning the 2022 primary, Shellenberger took a leave of absence to deal with exhaustion. He said Tuesday he is doing “very well.”

“I hike. I walk on a treadmill. I am very active,” Shellenberger said. “As anyone around here can tell you, I work six, seven days a week. I’m one of the first people in this building at 7:15 this morning.”

He said he carries an iPad with him at all times in case he needs to sign a search warrant.

“The state’s attorney is always on duty,” he said.