List of governors of Maryland

For a list of colonial governors, see List of colonial governors of Maryland.

The governor of Maryland is the head of government of the U.S. state of Maryland and is the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.^[1] The governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and the constitutional powers of Maryland's governors make them among the most powerful governors in the United States.^[2]

The current governor is Democrat Wes Moore, who took office on January 18, 2023.^[3]

Governors

For the period before independence, see List of colonial governors of Maryland.

Maryland was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and was admitted as a state on April 28, 1788.^[4] Before it declared its independence, Maryland was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Under the constitution of 1776, governors were appointed by the General Assembly legislature to one-year terms. They could be reelected for two additional terms, though they must take four years off after leaving office. An 1838 constitutional amendment allowed for popular election of governors to three-year terms, though they could not succeed themselves. The 1851 constitution removed the term limit, and lengthened terms to four years, to commence on the second Wednesday of January following the election. Governors were limited to two consecutive terms beginning in 1948.^[5]

The office of lieutenant governor was created in 1864, abolished in 1867, and recreated in 1970. The lieutenant governor succeeds to the office of governor should it become vacant. In the original constitution, the first named of the Governor's Council would act as governor if it were vacant, until a new governor was selected; this was changed to the secretary of state in 1837.^[6] The 1867 constitution originally called for the General Assembly to immediately elect a new governor; if they were not in session, the president of the Senate would act as governor until one was elected.^[7]

Governors of the State of Maryland

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor[a][b]
1			Thomas Johnson (1732–1819) [10][11]	March 21, 1777[12] – November 12, 1779 (did not run)	No party[13]	1777	Office did not exist
						1778
2			Thomas Sim Lee (1745–1819) [14][15][16]	November 12, 1779[17] – November 22, 1782 (term-limited)[c]	No party[13]	1779
						1780
						1781
3			William Paca (1740–1799) [19][20]	November 22, 1782[21] – November 26, 1785 (term-limited)[c]	No party[13]	1782
						1783
						1784
4			William Smallwood (1732–1792) [22]	November 26, 1785[23] – November 27, 1788 (term-limited)[c]	No party[13]	1785
						1786
						1787
5			John Eager Howard (1752–1827) [24][25][26]	November 27, 1788[27] – November 14, 1791 (term-limited)[c]	Federalist[13]	1788
						1789
						1790
6			George Plater (1735–1792) [28][29][30]	November 14, 1791[31] – February 10, 1792 (died in office)	Federalist[13]	1791
—			James Brice (1746–1801) [32]	February 10, 1792[33] – April 5, 1792 (successor took office)	Federalist[13]	Senior council member acting
2			Thomas Sim Lee (1745–1819) [14][15][16]	April 5, 1792[34] – November 17, 1794 (did not run)	Federalist[13]	1792
						1793
7			John Hoskins Stone (1749–1804) [35][36][37]	November 17, 1794[38] – November 28, 1797 (term-limited)[c]	Federalist[39]	1794
						1795
						1796
8			John Henry (1750–1798) [40][41][42]	November 28, 1797[43] – November 14, 1798 (did not run)[40]	Federalist[39]	1797
9			Benjamin Ogle (1749–1809) [44][45][46]	November 14, 1798[47] – November 10, 1801 (term-limited)[c]	Federalist[39]	1798
						1799
						1800
10			John Francis Mercer (1759–1821) [48][49][50]	November 10, 1801[51] – November 13, 1803 (did not run)[48]	Democratic- Republican[39]	1801
						1802
11			Robert Bowie (1750–1818) [52][53][54]	November 15, 1803[55] – November 12, 1806 (term-limited)[c]	Democratic- Republican[39]	1803
						1804
						1805
12			Robert Wright (1752–1826) [56][57][58]	November 12, 1806[59] – May 6, 1809 (resigned)[d]	Democratic- Republican[39]	1806
						1807
						1808
—			James Butcher	May 6, 1809[60] – June 9, 1809 (successor took office)	Democratic- Republican[61]	Senior council member acting[58]
13			Edward Lloyd (1779–1834) [62][63][64]	June 9, 1809[65] – November 16, 1811 (term-limited)[c]	Democratic- Republican[39]	June 1809 (special)[e]
						Nov. 1809
						1810
11			Robert Bowie (1750–1818) [52][53][54]	November 16, 1811[66] – November 23, 1812 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican[39]	1811
14			Levin Winder (1757–1819) [67][68][69]	November 23, 1812[70] – January 2, 1816 (term-limited)[c]	Federalist[39]	1812
						1813
						1814
15			Charles Carnan Ridgely (1760–1829) [71][72][73]	January 2, 1816[74] – January 8, 1819 (term-limited)[c]	Federalist[39]	1815
						1816
						1817
16			Charles Goldsborough (1765–1834) [75][76][77]	January 8, 1819[78] – December 20, 1819 (lost election)	Federalist[39]	1818
17			Samuel Sprigg (1783–1855) [79][80][81]	December 20, 1819[82] – December 16, 1822 (term-limited)[c]	Democratic- Republican[39]	1819
						1820
						1821
18			Samuel Stevens Jr. (1778–1860) [83][84][85]	December 16, 1822[86] – January 9, 1826 (term-limited)[c]	Democratic- Republican[61]	1822
						1823
						1824
19			Joseph Kent (1779–1837) [87][88][89]	January 9, 1826[90] – January 15, 1829 (term-limited)[c]	Democratic- Republican[61]	1826
						1827
						1828
20			Daniel Martin (1780–1831) [91][92][93]	January 15, 1829[94] – January 15, 1830 (lost election)	Anti-Jacksonian[39]	1829
21			Thomas King Carroll (1793–1873) [95][96][97]	January 15, 1830[98] – January 13, 1831 (lost election)	Jacksonian[39]	1830
20			Daniel Martin (1780–1831) [91][92][93]	January 13, 1831[99] – July 11, 1831 (died in office)	Anti-Jacksonian[39]	1831
22			George Howard (1789–1846) [100][101][102]	July 11, 1831[103] – January 17, 1833 (did not run)[100]	Anti-Jacksonian[39]	Senior council member acting
						1832
23			James Thomas (1785–1845) [104][105][106]	January 17, 1833[107] – January 14, 1836 (term-limited)[c]	Anti-Jacksonian[39]	1833
						1834
						1835
24			Thomas Veazey (1774–1842) [108][109][110]	January 14, 1836[111] – January 7, 1839 (term-limited)[f]	Whig[39]	1836
						1837
						Jan. 1838
25			William Grason (1788–1868) [113][114][115]	January 7, 1839[116] – January 3, 1842 (term-limited)[f]	Democratic[39]	Oct. 1838
26			Francis Thomas (1799–1876) [117][118][119]	January 3, 1842[120] – January 6, 1845 (term-limited)[f]	Democratic[121]	1841
27			Thomas Pratt (1804–1869) [122][123][124]	January 6, 1845[125] – January 3, 1848 (term-limited)[f]	Whig[121]	1844
28			Philip Francis Thomas (1810–1890) [126][127][128]	January 3, 1848[129] – January 6, 1851 (term-limited)[f]	Democratic[121]	1847
29			Enoch Louis Lowe (1820–1892) [130][131][132]	January 6, 1851[133] – January 11, 1854 (did not run)[g]	Democratic[121]	1850
30			Thomas Watkins Ligon (1810–1881) [134][135][136]	January 11, 1854[137] – January 13, 1858 (did not run)	Democratic[138]	1853
31			Thomas Holliday Hicks (1798–1865) [139][140][141]	January 13, 1858[142] – January 8, 1862 (did not run)	American[138]	1857
32			Augustus Bradford (1806–1881) [143][144][145]	January 8, 1862[146] – January 10, 1866 (did not run)	Union[61]	1861
33			Thomas Swann (1809–1883) [147][148][149]	January 10, 1866[61] – January 13, 1869 (did not run)	Union[61]	1864		Christopher Christian Cox
34			Oden Bowie (1826–1894) [150][151][152]	January 13, 1869[153] – January 10, 1872 (did not run)	Democratic[61]	1867	Office did not exist
35			William Pinkney Whyte (1824–1908) [154][155][156]	January 10, 1872[157] – March 4, 1874 (resigned)[h]	Democratic[61]	1871
36			James Black Groome (1838–1893) [158][159][160]	March 4, 1874[161] – January 12, 1876 (did not run)	Democratic[61]	Elected governor by legislature
37			John Lee Carroll (1830–1911) [162][163][164]	January 12, 1876[165] – January 14, 1880 (did not run)	Democratic[61]	1875
38			William Thomas Hamilton (1820–1888) [166][167][168]	January 14, 1880[169] – January 9, 1884 (did not run)	Democratic[61]	1879
39			Robert Milligan McLane (1815–1898) [170][171][172]	January 9, 1884[173] – March 27, 1885 (resigned)[i]	Democratic[61]	1883
40			Henry Lloyd (1852–1920) [174][175][176]	March 27, 1885[177] – January 11, 1888 (did not run)	Democratic[61]	President of the Senate acting
41			Elihu Emory Jackson (1837–1907) [178][179][180]	January 11, 1888[181] – January 13, 1892 (did not run)	Democratic[61]	1887
42			Frank Brown (1846–1920) [182][183][184]	January 13, 1892[185] – January 8, 1896 (did not run)	Democratic[61]	1891
43			Lloyd Lowndes Jr. (1845–1905) [186][187][188]	January 8, 1896[189] – January 10, 1900 (lost election)	Republican[61]	1895
44			John Walter Smith (1845–1925) [190][191][192]	January 10, 1900[193] – January 13, 1904 (did not run)	Democratic[61]	1899
45			Edwin Warfield (1848–1920) [194][195][196]	January 13, 1904[197] – January 8, 1908 (did not run)	Democratic[61]	1903
46			Austin Lane Crothers (1860–1912) [198][199][200]	January 8, 1908[201] – January 10, 1912 (did not run)	Democratic[61]	1907
47			Phillips Lee Goldsborough (1865–1946) [202][203][204]	January 10, 1912[205] – January 12, 1916 (did not run)	Republican[61]	1911
48			Emerson Harrington (1864–1945) [206][207][208]	January 12, 1916[209] – January 14, 1920 (did not run)	Democratic[61]	1915
49			Albert Ritchie (1876–1936) [210][211][212]	January 14, 1920[213] – January 9, 1935 (lost election)	Democratic[61]	1919
						1923
						1926
						1930
50			Harry Nice (1877–1941) [214][215][216]	January 9, 1935[217] – January 11, 1939 (lost election)	Republican[61]	1934
51			Herbert O'Conor (1896–1960) [218][219][220]	January 11, 1939[221] – January 3, 1947 (resigned)[j]	Democratic[61]	1938
						1942
52			William Preston Lane Jr. (1892–1967) [223][224][225]	January 3, 1947[j] – January 10, 1951 (lost election)	Democratic[61]	Elected by legislature[j]
						1946
53			Theodore McKeldin (1900–1974) [226][227][228]	January 10, 1951[229] – January 14, 1959 (term-limited)[k]	Republican[61]	1950
						1954
54			J. Millard Tawes (1894–1979) [231][232][233]	January 14, 1959[234] – January 25, 1967 (term-limited)[k]	Democratic[61]	1958
						1962
55			Spiro Agnew (1918–1996) [235][236][237]	January 25, 1967[238] – January 7, 1969 (resigned)[l]	Republican[61]	1966
56			Marvin Mandel (1920–2015) [239][240][241]	January 7, 1969[242] – January 17, 1979 (term-limited)[k]	Democratic[61]	1969 (special)[m]		Blair Lee III
						1970
						1974
—			Blair Lee III (1916–1985) [243][244][245]	June 4, 1977[n] – January 15, 1979 (did not run)	Democratic[244]	Lieutenant governor acting[n]		Acting as governor
57			Harry Hughes (1926–2019) [247][248]	January 17, 1979[249] – January 21, 1987 (term-limited)[k]	Democratic[247]	1978		Samuel Bogley
						1982		J. Joseph Curran Jr.
58			William Donald Schaefer (1921–2011) [250][251]	January 21, 1987[252] – January 18, 1995 (term-limited)[k]	Democratic[250]	1986		Melvin Steinberg
						1990
59			Parris Glendening (b. 1942) [253][254]	January 18, 1995[255] – January 15, 2003 (term-limited)[k]	Democratic[253]	1994		Kathleen Kennedy Townsend
						1998
60			Bob Ehrlich (b. 1957) [256][257]	January 15, 2003[258] – January 17, 2007 (lost election)	Republican[256]	2002		Michael Steele
61			Martin O'Malley (b. 1963) [259][260]	January 17, 2007[261] – January 21, 2015 (term-limited)[k]	Democratic[259]	2006		Anthony Brown
						2010
62			Larry Hogan (b. 1956) [262][263]	January 21, 2015[264] – January 18, 2023 (term-limited)[k]	Republican[262]	2014		Boyd Rutherford
						2018
63			Wes Moore (b. 1978) [265][266]	January 18, 2023[267] – Incumbent[o]	Democratic[265]	2022		Aruna Miller

Notes

1. The office of lieutenant governor was created in 1864, abolished in 1867, and recreated in 1970.^[8][9]
2. Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
3. Under the 1776 constitution, governors were limited to no more than three years successively, and ineligible until four years after they had been out of office.^[18]
4. Wright resigned due to a loss of popularity,^[56] and to secure a seat on the Maryland Court of Appeals, though he was not appointed to it.^[57]
5. Special election to fill the remainder of Robert Wright's term.
6. Under an 1837 amendment to the constitution, elected governors were ineligible to succeed themselves.^[112]
7. Sobel says Lowe was limited from succeeding himself due to an 1846 amendment, but this appears to be in error.^[130]
8. Whyte resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.^[154]
9. McLane resigned, having been confirmed as United States Minister to France.^[170]
10. O'Conor resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate. Lane, who won the election, was elected by the legislature to succeed O'Conor immediately, five days before he would have taken office.^[222]
11. Under a 1948 amendment to the constitution, governors who have served two consecutive elected terms are ineligible for the next term.^[230]
12. Agnew resigned, having been elected Vice President of the United States.^[235]
13. Mandel was elected by the Maryland General Assembly to fill the vacancy left by Agnew's resignation.
14. Mandel named Lieutenant Governor Lee acting governor on June 4, 1977, as he was dealing with charges of mail fraud and racketeering, and citing health reasons;^[246] he would be found guilty in August, and sentenced to four years in prison in October. He rescinded the designation on January 15, 1979, two days before the end of the term; he then made Lee acting governor again for a time on January 16 so he could preside at the installation of a judge on the Court of Appeals.^[245][239]
15. Moore's term will expire on January 20, 2027.

See also

• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Maryland
• List of Maryland General Assemblies