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Register of Wills · Talbot County · 2026 Primary
The Register of Wills oversees the legal process of settling a person's estate after they pass away, ensuring assets are distributed correctly to heirs and beneficiaries according to the law. This office is responsible for maintaining permanent records of wills and probate documents while also collecting inheritance taxes on behalf of the state. By managing these sensitive transitions, the official ensures the orderly and transparent transfer of property within the community.
View all candidates in this racePatricia "Patti" E. Campen is an Eastern Shore native and current Register of Wills for Talbot County, seeking re-election in 2026 and running unopposed. A graduate of Easton High School, she began working for an Easton law firm while still in high school and remained there for over 25 years, gaining extensive experience as an office administrator and paralegal in probate, real estate, corporate, and civil litigation. She went on to take advanced coursework at Chesapeake College and Salisbury University concentrating in paralegal and accounting studies, and has completed continuing education courses in probate through the Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education for Lawyers. She served as Assistant Chief Deputy and Chief Deputy Register of Wills for Talbot County for nearly six years under the Honorable Alice W. Anderson before being appointed Register on January 1, 2013, and subsequently elected to the position. She is a member of the Easton Rotary Club and serves on the Probate Review and Personnel Committees. She and her husband, Sidney S. Campen, Jr., live in Oxford.