Governor of Maryland - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of Maryland

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 entirely within the state's borders, except as limited by...

, and he is the commander-in-chief

Commander-in-Chief

A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...

of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and he has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments, as specified by the Maryland Constitution

Maryland Constitution

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 fourth constitution under which the state has been...

. 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 Martin O'Malley

Martin O'Malley

Martin Joseph O'Malley is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as the 61st Governor of Maryland. Previously, he served as the mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. He is currently the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.-Early life, education and career:O'Malley...

, a Democrat

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

and a former mayor of Baltimore

Baltimore

Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

who defeated the Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

incumbent Robert Ehrlich

Robert Ehrlich

Robert Leroy "Bob" Ehrlich, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 60th Governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007. A Republican, he became governor after defeating Democratic opponent Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a member of the Kennedy family, 51% to 48% in the 2002 elections...

in the November 2006 election. O'Malley won reelection in November 2010, in a rematch against Ehrlich.

Selection and qualifications

Like most state chief executives in the United States, the Governor

Governor (United States)

In the United States, the title governor refers to the chief executive of each state or insular territory, not directly subordinate to the federal authorities, but the political and ceremonial head of the state.-Role and powers:...

of Maryland is elected by the citizens of Maryland to serve a four-year term. The Constitution of Maryland prohibits a Governor from serving more than two consecutive terms. While this does leave the possibility for a Governor to run again for re-election after remaining out of office for least one term, no former Governor has yet run for a third 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. If a candidate meets this minimum requirement, he must file his 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 state-wide officials in Maryland, is elected in the even-numbered years in which the election for President of the United States

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

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 desk by the Maryland General Assembly

Maryland General Assembly

The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives...

, 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

Maryland General Assembly

. 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

Veto

A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...

any law that is passed by the Assembly, 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

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...

. The Governor also appoints certain boards and commissions in each of the 24 Counties and in Baltimore City, such as local Boards of Elections, commissions notaries public

Notary public

A notary public in the common law world is a public officer constituted by law to serve the public in non-contentious matters usually concerned with estates, deeds, powers-of-attorney, and foreign and international business...

, and he appoints officers to fill vacancies in the elected offices of Attorney General

Attorney General of Maryland

The Attorney General 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...

and Comptroller

Comptroller of Maryland

The Comptroller of Maryland, United States, currently Peter Franchot, is the state's chief financial officer and is also elected by the people for a four year term. The comptroller is not term-limited. The office was established by the Maryland Constitution of 1851 due to concern about the...

. Should a vacancy arise in 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, 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 make up the Governor's Cabinet

Cabinet (government)

A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...

, 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 as heads of executive departments :

Lieutenant Governor, currently Anthony G. Brown
Anthony G. Brown
Anthony G. Brown is a Democratic Party politician from the State of Maryland and is the current Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. He was elected as Maryland’s eighth Lieutenant Governor in 2006 on a ticket with Governor Martin O'Malley. Both were reelected in 2010. He is the second African...
Secretary of State, currently John P. McDonough, Esq.
Secretary of Aging, currently Gloria G. Lawlah
Secretary of Agriculture, currently Earl F. (Buddy) Hance
Secretary of Budget and Management, currently T. Eloise Foster
Secretary of Business and Economic Development, currently Christian S. Johansson
Secretary of Disabilities, currently Catherine A. Raggio
State Superintendent of Schools (appointed by the State Board of Education to direct the Maryland State Department of Education
Maryland State Department of Education
Maryland State Department of Education is a division of the state government of Maryland in the United States. The agency oversees public school districts. The agency is headquartered at 200 West Baltimore Street in Baltimore...

), currently Nancy S. Grasmick, Ph.D
Nancy Grasmick
Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick was the Maryland State Superintendent of schools, until June 30, 2011.-Education:She received her doctorate from the Johns Hopkins University, her master's degree from Gallaudet University, and her bachelor's degree from Towson University.-Career:Grasmick began as a teacher of...
Secretary of Environment, currently Shari T. Wilson
Secretary of General Services, currently Alvin C. Collins
Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, currently John M. Colmers
Secretary of Housing and Community Development, currently Raymond A. Skinner
Secretary of Human Resources, currently Brenda Donald
Secretary of Information Technology, currently Elliot H. Schlanger
Secretary of Juvenile Services, currently Donald W. DeVore
Secretary of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation, currently Alexander M. Sanchez
Secretary of Natural Resources, currently John R. Griffin
Secretary of Planning, currently Richard T. Hall
Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services, currently Gary D. Maynard
Secretary of State Police (commanding officer of the Maryland State Police
Maryland State Police
The Maryland State Police is the official state police force of the state of Maryland. The Maryland State Police is headquartered at 1201 Reisterstown Road in the Pikesville CDP in unincorporated Baltimore County.-Organizational structure:...

), currently Col. Terrence B. Sheridan
Secretary of Transportation, currently Beverley K. Swaim-Staley
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, currently Edward J. Chow, Jr.
Secretary of Higher Education (head of the Maryland Higher Education Commission), currently James E. Lyons, Ph.D.
Adjutant General (head of the Maryland Military Department), currently Maj. Gen. James A. Adkins
James A. Adkins
Major General James A. Adkins was appointed as the 28th adjutant general of Maryland effective June 1, 2008. The adjutant general is responsible for the daily operations of the Maryland Military Department which includes the Maryland Army National Guard, Maryland Air National Guard, Maryland...

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

Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...

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

Commander-in-Chief

of the military forces of the State: the Maryland National Guard and Air National Guard

United States National Guard

The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...

and the Maryland Defense Force

Maryland Defense Force

The Maryland Defense Force is the State Defense Force for the state of Maryland, United States. Its main mission is to provide medical, legal, and logistic support for the Maryland Army National Guard and the Maryland Air National Guard. The Maryland Defense Force falls under the command of the...

, except when these forces have been called into Federal service, which the Federal government 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

Pardon

Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...

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 condition of the state at any time during the year, though this traditionally happens in a State of the State Address each January.

The Governor's Staff

In addition to the various departments and agencies under gubernatorial control, the Governor has an executive staff that assist in coordinating the executive duties. This staff is led by a Chief of Staff, and includes five offices: Intergovernmental Relations, Legal Counsel, Legislative and Policy, Press, and the Governor's Office in Washington, DC. 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

During the Colonial period

Province of Maryland

The Province of Maryland was an English and later British colony in North America that existed from 1632 until 1776, when it joined the other twelve of the Thirteen Colonies in rebellion against Great Britain and became the U.S...

, Maryland's Proprietors, the Lords of Baltimore

Baron Baltimore

Baron Baltimore, of Baltimore Manor in County Longford, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1625 for George Calvert and became extinct on the death of the sixth Baron in 1771. The title was held by several members of the Calvert family who were proprietors of the palatinates...

, who generally remained in England, chose who would serve as the Governor of Maryland on their behalf. Between 1692, when the Baltimores lost control, and 1715, Maryland was a direct Royal Colony, and the Governor was appointed by the British Monarch. The Lords of Baltimore regained their Royal Charter in 1715, and then they resumed choosing the Governors until the beginning of the American Revolution

American Revolution

The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...

. The first Governor chosen to break this chain of Colonial Governors was Thomas Johnson (1732–1819), who took office on March 21, 1777.

Under the Maryland Constitution of 1776

Maryland Constitution of 1776

The Maryland Constitution of 1778 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 4th of that year.-Background and drafting:The eighth...

, the Governor was chosen for one-year terms by both houses of the General Assembly. An 1838 constitutional amendment allowed voters to elect the Governor to three-year terms from one of three rotating gubernatorial districts: eastern, southern, and western. At each election, only voters from a single gubernatorial election district selected the Governor. The Maryland Constitution of 1851 lengthened the Governor's term of office from three to four years, which brought elections for Governor in line with elections for Federal offices that occur only in even years. Finally, the Constitution of 1864

Maryland Constitution of 1864

The Maryland Constitution of 1864 was the third of the four constitutions which have governed the U.S. state of Maryland. A controversial product of the Civil War and in effect only until 1867, when the state's present constitution was adopted, the 1864 document was short-lived.-Drafting:The 1864...

eliminated the rotating gubernatorial election districts and, since the election of 1868, the Governor has been elected by all the voters of the state.

From 1777 to 1870, the Governor resided in Jennings House in Annapolis. Since 1870, the Governor has resided in the Government House

Government House (Maryland)

Government House is the official residence of the Governor of Maryland and is located at State Circle in Annapolis, Maryland. It has been the home of the governor since 1870. It was designed by Baltimore architect R. Snowden Andrews . Jennings House was the residence of the Governors of Maryland...

, a Georgian

Georgian architecture

Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...

mansion adjacent to the Maryland State House

Maryland State House

The Maryland State House is located in Annapolis and is the oldest state capitol in continuous legislative use, dating to 1772. It houses the Maryland General Assembly and offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. The capitol has the distinction of being topped by the largest wooden dome in...

. In addition to being the residence for the Governor and his family, Government House has a number of public rooms that are used by the Governor on official occasions.

Spiro T. Agnew, who was the Governor of Maryland from 1967–1969, later served as the Vice-President of the United States for a time under President

President of the United States

Richard M. Nixon, and Agnew is, thus far, the highest-ranking Marylander in the history of the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Agnew's official gubernatorial portrait was removed Damnatio memoriae
Damnatio memoriae
Damnatio memoriae is the Latin phrase literally meaning "condemnation of memory" in the sense of a judgment that a person must not be remembered. It was a form of dishonor that could be passed by the Roman Senate upon traitors or others who brought discredit to the Roman State...

from the Maryland State House

Maryland State House

Governor's Reception Room from 1979 until 1995. Then-Governor Parris Glendening

Parris Glendening

Parris Nelson Glendening , a member of the United States Democratic Party, was the 59th Governor of Maryland from January 18, 1995 to January 15, 2003...

stated that in re-including Agnew's portrait that it was not up to anyone to alter history, whether for good or bad, citing Nineteen Eighty-Four
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell is a dystopian novel about Oceania, a society ruled by the oligarchical dictatorship of the Party...

.
In 1971, the office of Lieutenant Governor of Maryland

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. He or she is elected on the same ticket as the Governor of Maryland and must meet the same qualifications.The current Lieutenant Governor is...

, 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 IV; 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

Blair Lee III

Blair Lee III was an American Democratic politician. He served as the Secretary of State of Maryland from 1969 to 1971...

served as acting Governor from June 4, 1977 until January 15, 1979 while Governor Marvin Mandel

Marvin Mandel

Marvin Mandel , a member of the United States Democratic Party, was the 56th Governor of Maryland in the United States from January 7, 1969, to January 17, 1979. He was Maryland's first, and, to date, only Jewish governor.- Early life :...

was serving a sentence for mail fraud and racketeering (consequently, in a modern example of Damnatio memoriae
Damnatio memoriae
Damnatio memoriae is the Latin phrase literally meaning "condemnation of memory" in the sense of a judgment that a person must not be remembered. It was a form of dishonor that could be passed by the Roman Senate upon traitors or others who brought discredit to the Roman State...

, Mandel's official gubernatorial portrait was not hung in the Maryland State House

Maryland State House

Governor's Reception Room until 1993).

As of 2010, Maryland has yet to have been served by a female Governor. However, women were the runners-up in four gubernatorial elections (in 1974, 1994, 1998, and 2002). In addition, one woman has served as the Lieutenant Governor, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend

Kathleen Hartington Kennedy Townsend , is an American attorney who was the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland from 1995 to 2003. She ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Maryland in 2002. In 2010 she became the chair of the non-profit American Bridge, an organization that will raise funds for Democratic...

, under Gov. Parris Glendening

Parris Glendening

Parris Nelson Glendening , a member of the United States Democratic Party, was the 59th Governor of Maryland from January 18, 1995 to January 15, 2003...

from 1995 to 2003. Another woman, Kristen Cox

Kristen Cox

Kristen Cox is a blind American politician and current Executive Director for the Utah Department of Workforce Services. Previously Cox served as Maryland Secretary of Disabilities. Kris Cox was the running mate of Maryland Governor Robert L...

, who was the Secretary of Disabilities, unsuccessfully ran for Lieutenant Governor as the running mate of the incumbent Governor Robert Ehrlich, when the Lieutenant Governor at that time, Michael Steele, 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.

Selection and qualifications

Functions and responsibilities

Appropriations

Appointment powers

Executive Council

Other powers and responsibilities

The Governor's Staff

History and Evolution of the Office

See also