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The Governor of the State of Maryland is the
head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a ...
of
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
, and is the commander-in-chief of the state's
National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...
units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state and has a broad range of appointive powers in both the state and local governments, as specified by the Maryland Constitution (1867, and revisions/amendments). Because of the extent of these constitutional powers, the Governor of Maryland has been ranked as being among the most powerful governors in the United States. The current Governor is
Larry Hogan Lawrence Joseph Hogan Jr. (born May 25, 1956) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 62nd governor of Maryland since 2015. A moderate member of the Republican Party, he was secretary of appointments under Maryland governor Bo ...
, a Republican who has been in office since 2015. He will be succeeded by
Wes Moore Westley Watende Omari Moore (born October 15, 1978) is an American politician, investment banker, author, and television producer. He is the governor-elect of Maryland, after defeating Republican Dan Cox in the 2022 Maryland gubernatorial el ...
, a Democrat who will take office on January 18, 2023.


Selection and qualifications

Like most state
chief executives A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
in the United States, the Governor is elected by the citizens of Maryland to serve a four-year term. Under the
Constitution of Maryland The current Constitution of the State of Maryland, which was ratified by the people of the state on September 18, 1867, forms the basic law for the U.S. state of Maryland. It replaced the short-lived Maryland Constitution of 1864 and is the four ...
, the Governor can run any number of times, but not more than twice in a row. This makes it possible for a two-term Governor to run for the office again after remaining out of office for at least one term. An eligible candidate for Governor must be at least 30 years old, and also a resident of and a registered voter in Maryland for the five years preceding the election. Candidates meeting this minimum requirement must file his or her candidacy with the Maryland State Board of Elections, pay a filing fee, file a financial disclosure, and create a legal campaign financial body. The Governor, like all statewide officials in Maryland, is elected in the even-numbered years in which the election for
president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...
does not occur.


Functions and responsibilities

As the chief executive of the State of Maryland, the Governor heads the executive branch of government, which includes all state executive departments and agencies, as well as advisory boards, commissions, committees, and task forces. The main constitutional responsibility of the Governor of Maryland, and any other state's chief executive, is to carry out the business of the state and to enforce the laws passed by the legislature. The Governor also has some say in these laws, since the Governor has the ability to veto any bill sent to his or her desk by the
Maryland General Assembly The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland that convenes within the State House in Annapolis. It is a bicameral body: the upper chamber, the Maryland Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber ...
, though the assembly may override that veto. The Governor is also given a number of more specific powers as relates to appropriations of state funds, the appointment of state officials, and also a variety of less prominent and less commonly utilized powers.


Appropriations

Every year, the Governor must present a proposed budget to the
Maryland General Assembly The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland that convenes within the State House in Annapolis. It is a bicameral body: the upper chamber, the Maryland Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber ...
. After receiving the proposed budget, the assembly is then allowed to decrease any portion of the budget for the executive branch, but it may never increase it or transfer funds between executive departments. The assembly may, however, increase funds for the legislative and judicial branches of government. The Governor has the power to
veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. Veto ...
any law that is passed by the
General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of pres ...
, including a " line item veto", which can be used to strike certain portions of appropriations bills. The legislature then has the power to override a Governor's veto by vote of three-fifths (60%) of the number of members in each house. The Governor also sits on the board of public works, whose other two members are the comptroller and the treasurer. This board has broad powers in overseeing and approving the spending of state funds. They must approve state expenditures of all general funds and capital improvement funds, excluding expenditures for the construction of state roads, bridges, and highways. It has the power to solicit loans on its own accord either to meet a deficit or in anticipation of other revenues, in addition to approving expenditures of funds from loans authorized by the General Assembly.


Appointment powers

The Governor appoints almost all military and civil officers of the state government, subject to advice and consent of the
Maryland State Senate The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. Composed of 47 senators elected from an equal number of constituent single-m ...
. The Governor also appoints certain boards and commissions in each of the 24 counties and in
Baltimore City Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
, such as local Boards of Elections, commissions notaries public, and appoints officers to fill vacancies in the elected offices of
attorney general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
and
comptroller A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior-level execut ...
. Should a vacancy arise in either of the two houses of the General Assembly, the Governor also fills that vacancy, though the Governor must choose from among the recommendations of the local party organization to which the person leaving the vacancy belonged. Any officer appointed by the Governor, except a member of the General Assembly, is removable by him or her, if there is a legitimate cause for removal. Among the most prominent of the Governor's appointees are the 24 secretaries and heads of departments that currently make up the Governor's
Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...
, also known as the executive council.


Executive council

The Governor of Maryland is the chairman of the Governor's executive council (or Cabinet) which coordinates all state government functions. This is composed of the following members, all of whom, except the Lieutenant Governor, are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the
Maryland State Senate The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. Composed of 47 senators elected from an equal number of constituent single-m ...
as heads of executive departments: *Lieutenant Governor – Boyd Rutherford *Secretary of State – John C. Wobensmith *Secretary of Aging – Rona E. Kramer *Secretary of Agriculture – Joe Bartenfelder *Secretary of Budget and Management –
David Brinkley David McClure Brinkley (July 10, 1920 – June 11, 2003) was an American newscaster for NBC and ABC in a career lasting from 1943 to 1997. From 1956 through 1970, he co-anchored NBC's top-rated nightly news program, '' The Huntley–Brinkl ...
*Secretary of Business and Economic Development – R. Michael Gill *Secretary of Disabilities-Carol Beatty *State Superintendent of Schools (appointed by the State Board of Education to direct the
Maryland State Department of Education Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is a division of the state government of Maryland in the United States. The agency oversees public school districts, which are 24 local school systems—one for each of Maryland's 23 counties plus one ...
) – Mohammed Choudhury *Secretary of Environment – Ben Grumbles *Secretary of General Services – C. Gail Bassette *Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene – Van Mitchell *Secretary of Housing and Community Development – Kenneth C. Holt *Secretary of Human Resources – Sam Maholtra *Secretary of Information Technology – David Garcia *Secretary of Juvenile Services – Sam J. Abed *Secretary of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation – Tiffany Robinson *Secretary of Natural Resources – Mark Belton *Secretary of Planning – Wendi W. Peters *Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services – Stephen T. Moyer *Secretary of State Police (commanding officer of the
Maryland State Police The Maryland State Police (MSP), officially the Maryland Department of State Police (MDSP), is the official state police force of the U.S. state of Maryland. The Maryland State Police is headquartered at 1201 Reisterstown Road in the Pikesvill ...
) – Col. William Pallozzi *Secretary of Transportation – James F. Ports, Jr. *Secretary of Veterans Affairs – George W. Owings III *Secretary of Higher Education (head of the Maryland Higher Education Commission) – Dr. James D. Fielder *Adjutant General (head of the Maryland Military Department) – Gen. Linda Singh Other members of the Governor's staff may be invited to Cabinet meetings as "attendees". The Governor also oversees several sub-cabinets that coordinate the activities of a certain function of state government that involves several state departments or agencies. Currently, these are the
Base Realignment and Closure Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process by a United States federal government commission to increase United States Department of Defense efficiency by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the end ...
Subcabinet, BayStat Subcabinet, Chesapeake Bay cabinet, Children's Cabinet, Governor's Subcabinet for International Affairs, Smart Growth Subcabinet, and Workforce Creation Subcabinet.


Other powers and responsibilities

The Governor is the commander-in-chief of the military forces of the state: the Maryland Army National Guard and Air National Guard and the
Maryland Defense Force The Maryland Defense Force (MDDF) is the state defense force for the state of Maryland. The MDDF is organized as a volunteer military organization organized parallel to the Maryland National Guard and is designed to augment the National Guard durin ...
, except when these forces have been called into federal service, which the federal government under the
president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...
now has the authority to do. In times of public emergency, the Governor may exercise emergency powers, including the mobilization of these military forces. In the area of criminal justice, the Governor may grant
pardon A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...
s to criminals, commute the sentences of prisoners, or remit fines and forfeitures imposed on people who have been convicted, jailed, or fined for violations of state laws. In both these areas, and a variety of others, the Governor sits on state and interstate boards and commissions with varying powers. The Governor is also obligated to report on the conditions of the state at any time during the year, though this traditionally happens in a "State of the State" address each January at the beginning of the annual General Assembly session.


The Governor's staff

In addition to the various departments and agencies under gubernatorial control, the Governor has an executive administrative staff that assist in coordinating the executive duties. This staff is led by a
chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
, and includes five offices: Intergovernmental Relations, Legal Counsel, Legislative and Policy, Press, and the Governor's Office in Washington, D.C. The chief of staff has a number of deputies to assist in running these departments. The Governor's staff is appointed and therefore largely exempt from state civil service laws.


History and evolution of the office


1600s–1800s

During the colonial period, Maryland's proprietors, the Barons and Lords of Baltimore, who generally remained in the
Kingdom of England The Kingdom of England (, ) was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from 12 July 927, when it emerged from various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. On ...
, chose who would serve as the proprietary governor of Maryland on their behalf.
Leonard Calvert The Hon. Leonard Calvert (1606 – June 9, 1647) was the first proprietary governor of the Province of Maryland. He was the second son of The 1st Baron Baltimore (1579–1632), the first proprietor of Maryland. His elder brother Cecil (1605 ...
(1606–1647), youngest brother of the second Lord Baltimore, Cecilius Calvert (1605–1675), and the first lord proprietor, came with the first settlers in March 1634 to serve as the first Governor of the colonial
Province of Maryland The Province of Maryland was an Kingdom of England, English and later British Empire, British colony in North America that existed from 1632 until 1776, when it joined the other twelve of the Thirteen Colonies in American Revolution, rebellion ag ...
until his death in 1647. Between 1692, when the Baltimores lost control, and 1715, Maryland was a direct royal colony, and the Governor was appointed by the British
monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...
. The Lords of Baltimore regained their royal charter in 1715, under the British monarchs of the
House of Hanover The House of Hanover (german: Haus Hannover), whose members are known as Hanoverians, is a European royal house of German origin that ruled Hanover, Great Britain, and Ireland at various times during the 17th to 20th centuries. The house or ...
, and then under the fifth and sixth Lord Baltimores, they resumed choosing the Governors until the beginning of the
American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...
(1775–1783). The first Governor of an independent state chosen to break this chain of colonial Governors was Thomas Johnson (1732–1819) of Frederick County, who took office on March 21, 1777. Under the first
Maryland Constitution of 1776 The Maryland Constitution of 1776 was the first of four constitutions under which the U.S. state of Maryland has been governed. It was that state's basic law from its adoption in 1776 until the Maryland Constitution of 1851 took effect on July ...
for the independent state, the Governor was chosen for one-year terms by both houses of the
General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of pres ...
. An 1838 constitutional amendment allowed voters to elect the Governor to a three-year term from one of three rotating gubernatorial districts: eastern, southern, and western parts of the state. At each election, only voters from a single gubernatorial election district selected the Governor. A four-year term was established by the second Maryland Constitution of 1851, and geographic requirements were removed by the third Constitution of 1864 during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
. The fourth and current
constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these pr ...
was ratified by the people after the war in 1867. An amendment in 1922, added article XVII, title "Quadrennial Elections", to the 1867 state constitution and set the next election year to be 1926 and every four years thereafter, thereby shifting from the historical off-year cycle (...1915, 1919, 1923) to the present mid-term election cycle. From 1777 to 1870, the Governor resided in the Jennings House in
Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...
. Located on the site of the future expanded campus of the adjacent
United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...
(founded 1845), the house was later sold to the academy in 1869 after it returned from its northern hiatus in
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
(1861–1865). It was razed in 1901 for additional USNA buildings. Since 1870, the Governor of the Old Line State has resided in the Government House, originally a Victorian style architecture red brick mansion (later rebuilt/renovated in the 1930s into a Georgian-styled mansion to match other colonial/ Georgian- Federal era styled
architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...
state buildings and residences in the historic city). It is located on State Circle adjacent to the colonial era
Maryland State House The Maryland State House is located in Annapolis, Maryland. It is the oldest U.S. state capitol in continuous legislative use, dating to 1772 and houses the Maryland General Assembly, plus the offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. In ...
built 1772–1797. In addition to being the residence of the Governor and his family, Government House has a number of public rooms that are used by the Governor on official occasions.


1900s–present

Spiro T. Agnew Spiro Theodore Agnew (November 9, 1918 – September 17, 1996) was the 39th vice president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1973. He is the second vice president to resign the position, the other being John ...
, who was the 55th Governor of Maryland from 1967 to 1969, later served as the 39th
vice president of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice p ...
under
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Richard M. Nixon. Agnew is, thus far, the highest-ranking Marylander (along with 19th-century chief justice Roger B. Taney) in public service in the history of the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. He resigned after pleading "no contest" to federal legal charges of corruption during his terms as Baltimore County executive, Maryland Governor and vice president. In 1979, his gubernatorial portrait was removed from the
Maryland State House The Maryland State House is located in Annapolis, Maryland. It is the oldest U.S. state capitol in continuous legislative use, dating to 1772 and houses the Maryland General Assembly, plus the offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. In ...
Governor's Reception Room. In 1995, then-Governor Parris Glendening re-included the portrait, stating that it was not up to anyone to alter history, whether for good or bad, citing the famous novel by
George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalit ...
, ''
Nineteen Eighty-Four ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' (also stylised as ''1984'') is a dystopian social science fiction novel and cautionary tale written by the English writer George Orwell. It was published on 8 June 1949 by Secker & Warburg as Orwell's ninth and fina ...
''. As of 2022, Maryland has not yet had a female Governor. However, women were the runners-up in four gubernatorial elections (in 1974, 1994, 1998, and 2002), three Republicans and one Democrat. In addition, one woman has been the Lieutenant Governor,
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend Kathleen Hartington Kennedy Townsend (born July 4, 1951) is an American attorney who was the sixth Lieutenant Governor of Maryland from 1995 to 2003. She ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Maryland in 2002. She was the first female lieutenant ...
, under Democratic Governor Parris Glendening from 1995 to 2003. Another woman,
Kristen Cox Kristen Cox (born Kristen Eyring, Bellevue, Washington) is an American business executive, university fellow and instructor, keynote speaker, published author, trainer, consultant, and co-founder of The Fulcrum. Cox is a fellow and instructor at ...
, who was the Secretary of Disabilities, unsuccessfully ran for Lieutenant Governor as the running mate of then incumbent Republican Governor Robert Ehrlich, when the Lieutenant Governor at that time,
Michael Steele Michael Stephen Steele (born October 19, 1958) is an American political commentator, attorney, and Republican Party politician. Steele served as the seventh lieutenant governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007; he was the first African-American ...
, left office to run for the U.S. Senate. Cox was a unique person to run for that office, not only because she is a woman, but also because she is
legally blind Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...
.


Lieutenant Governor

In 1971, the office of Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, which had existed for only a few years in the 1860s, was re-instituted by an amendment to the Maryland Constitution. The Lieutenant Governor is a weak office compared to other counterparts (in other states including Texas, the Lieutenant Governor is the president of the state's Senate, while in California the Lieutenant Governor assumes all of the Governor's powers when the sitting Governor is out of the state), as it only possesses the powers and duties that the Governor assigns to him or her. The Lieutenant Governor is elected on the same ballot with the Governor, and to the same term of office as the Governor. The Lieutenant Governor succeeds to the Governorship only if there is a vacancy in that office. Despite the Governor and Lieutenant Governor being elected on the same party ticket, very often there have been public rifts between the two; for instance Gov. Marvin Mandel and Lt. Gov. Blair Lee III; Gov. Harry R. Hughes and Lt. Gov. Samuel W. Bogley III; Gov. Schaefer and Lt. Gov. Melvin A. Steinberg., and Gov. Parris Glendening and Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. No Lieutenant Governor of Maryland has yet been elected as the Governor in future elections, or permanently succeeded to the Governor's office due to a vacancy (which would be created by the resignation, death, or removal of the sitting Governor), although
Blair Lee III Francis Preston Blair Lee III (May 19, 1916 – October 25, 1985) was an American Democratic politician. He served as the Secretary of State of Maryland from 1969 to 1971. He was Lieutenant Governor of Maryland from 1971 to 1979 and served ...
served as acting Governor from June 4, 1977, until January 15, 1979, while Governor
Marvin Mandel Marvin Mandel (April 19, 1920 – August 30, 2015) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 56th Governor of Maryland from January 7, 1969, to January 17, 1979, including a one-and-a-half-year period when Lt. Governor Blair ...
was serving a sentence for mail fraud and racketeering (consequently, in a modern example of ''
Damnatio memoriae is a modern Latin phrase meaning "condemnation of memory", indicating that a person is to be excluded from official accounts. Depending on the extent, it can be a case of historical negationism. There are and have been many routes to , includi ...
'', Mandel's official gubernatorial portrait was not hung in the
Maryland State House The Maryland State House is located in Annapolis, Maryland. It is the oldest U.S. state capitol in continuous legislative use, dating to 1772 and houses the Maryland General Assembly, plus the offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. In ...
Governor's Reception Room until 1993).


See also

*
Government of Maryland The government of Maryland is conducted according to the Maryland Constitution. The United States is a federation; consequently, the government of Maryland, like the other 49 state governments, has exclusive authority over matters that lie enti ...
*
Lieutenant Governor of Maryland The lieutenant governor of Maryland is the second highest-ranking official in the executive branch of the state government of Maryland in the United States. The officeholder is elected on the same ticket as the governor of Maryland and must meet ...
*
Maryland gubernatorial elections Maryland gubernatorial elections have been held since statehood in 1867 to directly elect the Governor of Maryland and the officers that work with the winner candidate. After the initial election was held in November 5 1867, when Oden Bowie becam ...
*
List of Colonial Governors of Maryland Maryland began as a proprietary colony of the Catholic Calvert family, the Lords Baltimore under a royal charter, and its first eight governors were appointed by them. When the Catholic King of England, James II, was overthrown in the Glorious Rev ...


References


External links

;Official * ; General information * * * {{good article *
Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...