The Baltimore City Sitting Judges Committee supports the election of each of the five judges who must stand for election in 2019: Sylvester B. Cox, Althea M. Handy, Gregory Sampson, Robert Taylor, Jr., and Anthony F. Vittoria. The retention of sitting judges in challenged elections is vital to the stability of the bench and to attract well-qualified men and women to seek appointment to the circuit courts throughout Maryland. Each of the sitting judges was vetted by a gubernatorial nominating commission at the time of his or her initial appointment to the bench by the Governor.