Lieutenant Governor of Maryland

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Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
Coat of arms of Maryland.svg
Coat of arms of the state of Maryland
Aruna Miller Official Portrait.jpg
Incumbent
Aruna Miller
since January 18, 2023
Government of Maryland
Style
Term length Four years, renewable once, but renewable again after a 4-year respite
Inaugural holder Christopher C. Cox
FormationJanuary 1971
Website Office of the Lieutenant Governor

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 the same qualifications.

Contents

The current lieutenant governor is Aruna Miller, who took office on January 18, 2023.

History

The position was first created by the Maryland Constitution of 1864. Under that system of government, the lieutenant governor served as president of the Senate and would assume the office of governor if the incumbent should die, resign, be removed, or be disqualified.

The state's present constitution, adopted in 1867, abolished the lieutenant governorship. However, the position was re-established by a constitutional amendment ratified on November 3, 1970.

Duties and responsibilities

Under the 1970 amendment, the lieutenant governor "shall have only the duties delegated to him by the governor." Maryland's lieutenant governorship is thus weaker than the office in several, but not all, other states that have one. For instance, in many states, including Texas, the lieutenant governor is the president of the state's Senate and in California the lieutenant governor assumes all of the governor's powers when the governor is out of the state. In both of those states, as in some others, the lieutenant governor is elected independently of the state's governor.

In practice, Maryland's lieutenant governor attends cabinet meetings, chairs various task forces and commissions, represents the state at ceremonial functions and at events with or without the governor, and advises the governor. If the governor dies, resigns or is removed from office (via impeachment conviction), the lieutenant governor becomes governor. A vacancy in the lieutenant governorship is filled by a person nominated by the governor and confirmed by a majority vote of the General Assembly voting in joint session.

List of lieutenant governors

Parties

   Unionist (1)   Democratic (7)   Republican (2)

Under the Maryland Constitution of 1864

Constitution was amended to abolish the office of Lieutenant Governor after Cox's tenure.
No.Lieutenant GovernorPartyTerm
1 Christopher C. Cox.jpg Christopher C. Cox Unionist 18651868

Under the Maryland Constitution of 1867

Constitution amended November 4, 1970, to re-create the office of Lieutenant Governor.
No.Lieutenant GovernorPartyTerm startTerm endGovernor
2 Blair Lee III (Maryland governor).jpg Blair Lee III Democratic January 20, 1971January 17, 1979 Marvin Mandel
3 SamWalterBogleyIII.jpg Samuel W. Bogley DemocraticJanuary 17, 1979January 19, 1983 Harry Hughes
4 J. Joseph Curran.jpg J. Joseph Curran Jr. DemocraticJanuary 19, 1983January 21, 1987
5 No image.svg Melvin A. Steinberg DemocraticJanuary 21, 1987January 18, 1995 William D. Schaefer
6 Kathleen Kennedy Townsend giving out awards, 2001, cropped.jpg Kathleen Kennedy Townsend DemocraticJanuary 18, 1995January 15, 2003 Parris Glendening
7 Michael Steele.jpg Michael Steele Republican January 15, 2003January 17, 2007 Bob Ehrlich
8 Anthony G. Brown Official State Photo.jpg Anthony Brown DemocraticJanuary 17, 2007January 21, 2015 Martin O'Malley
9 Boyd Rutherford, Lieutenant Governor.jpg Boyd Rutherford RepublicanJanuary 21, 2015January 18, 2023 Larry Hogan
10 Aruna Miller Official Portrait.jpg Aruna Miller DemocraticJanuary 18, 2023Incumbent Wes Moore

See also

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