Mary D. Kane (born March 10, 1962) is an American attorney from

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 to ...

who was the

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

candidate for

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

, as the running mate of

Bob Ehrlich Robert Leroy Ehrlich Jr. (born November 25, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 60th Governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007. A Republican, Ehrlich represented Maryland's 2nd Congressional district in the U.S. House of ...

. In October 2011, Kane became the President and CEO of Sister Cities International. Sister Cities International is a nonprofit organization for individual

sister cities A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

, counties, and states across the United States. Kane also sits on the board of

Suburban Hospital Suburban Hospital is a community-based, not-for-profit hospital serving Montgomery County, Maryland, and the surrounding area since 1943. Located in Bethesda, Maryland, Suburban is the designated trauma center for Montgomery County. Suburban Hos ...

, a member of

Johns Hopkins Medicine The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) is the medical school of Johns Hopkins University, a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1893, the School of Medicine shares a campus with the Johns Hopkins Hospi ...

and Mount St. Mary's University.

Education

She graduated from Mount St. Mary's University in

Emmitsburg, Maryland Emmitsburg is a town in Frederick County, Maryland, United States, south of the Mason-Dixon line separating Maryland from Pennsylvania. Founded in 1785, Emmitsburg is the home of Mount St. Mary's University. The town has two Catholic pilgrima ...

, with a BS in Business and Finance in 1984. After staying at home for 9 years to raise her three children, she went back to school and received her J.D. from the

Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...

Columbus School of Law The Columbus School of Law, also known as Catholic Law or CUA Law, is the law school of the Catholic University of America, a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. More than 400 Juris Doctor students attend Catholic Law ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

in 1999. In 2016, she became the first woman to chair the board of trustees for her alma mater, Mount St. Mary's University, during a very tumultuous time in the institution's history.

Political career

Kane ran unsuccessfully as

candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 15 in 2002. She also ran unsuccessfully for the Montgomery County Council in 2000. She served as Secretary of State of Maryland from August 2, 2005, to January 17, 2007. Kane was the fourth woman, and first Republican woman, to hold the Secretary of State office in Maryland. During her tenure she also served as the Chair of the Governor's Subcabinet for International Affairs and as a Member on the Governor's Executive Council, the Governor's Interagency Council for the Nonprofit Sector, the Governor's Commission on Maryland Military Monuments, and the Board of State Canvassers. As Secretary of State, Kane was instrumental in the passage of the legislation establishing the Maryland "Safe at Home" program for victims of

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

in 2006. Before that, she was Deputy Secretary of State and Chief Legal Counsel (2003–2005).

Business career

Kane was admitted to Maryland Bar in 2001. She was of counsel with the law firm of Ethridge, Quinn, McAuliffe, Rowan & Hartinger in 2001–02. After her term as secretary of state, Kane served as an assistant state's attorney in

Montgomery County, Maryland Montgomery County is the most populous county in the state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 1,062,061, increasing by 9.3% from 2010. The county seat and largest municipality is Rockville, although the census-design ...

, from 2007 to 2008. From 2008 to 2011, Kane worked at the

United States Chamber of Commerce The United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC) is the largest lobbying group in the United States, representing over three million businesses and organizations. The group was founded in April 1912 out of local chambers of commerce at the urging ...

as an executive director. In 2010, she took a leave of absence from the US Chamber to run for lieutenant governor. In 2016, ''

American City Business Journals American City Business Journals, Inc. (ACBJ) is an American newspaper publisher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. ACBJ publishes The Business Journals, which contains local business news for 44 markets in the United States, Hemmings Motor News ...

'' named Kane one of the Top 25 Women Who Mean Business in Washington, D.C. From 1997 to 2003, Kane was on the board of directors of Kane Co., an office moving company that held contracts with various federal agencies. On July 1, 2010, John Kane notified the

Maryland Attorney General The Attorney General of the State of Maryland is the chief legal officer of the State of Maryland in the United States and is elected by the people every four years with no term limits. To run for the office a person must be a citizen of and qual ...

that Kane Co. would not bid on any Maryland contracts if his wife were elected lieutenant governor.

Family

Mary currently resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband,

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

(who is the former chair of the Maryland Republican Party), and their three children Jack, Grace, and Elizabeth. Mary is the daughter of Irish immigrants.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kane, Mary Maryland Republicans Secretaries of State of Maryland Women in Maryland politics Mount St. Mary's University alumni Columbus School of Law alumni Living people 1962 births Politicians from Washington, D.C.