List of governors of Maryland facts for kids
The governor of Maryland is like the chief leader of the state. They are the head of government and also the boss of Maryland's military groups. The governor is the most important official in the state. Maryland's governors have a lot of power, making them some of the strongest governors in the United States.
The current governor is Wes Moore, who is a Democrat. He started his job on January 18, 2023.
Maryland's Governors
Maryland was one of the first Thirteen Colonies in America. It became a state on April 28, 1788. Before it became independent, Maryland was a colony ruled by Great Britain.
How Governors Were Chosen
When Maryland first became a state, under its 1776 constitution, governors were chosen by the state's main law-making group, the General Assembly. They served for one year at a time. A governor could be chosen again for two more years, but then had to take four years off before serving again.
In 1838, a change was made so that people could vote for their governor directly. Governors then served for three years and could not be chosen right after their term ended. The 1851 constitution removed this limit, allowing governors to serve four-year terms. Since 1948, governors have been limited to two terms in a row.
The Lieutenant Governor
The job of lieutenant governor was created in 1864. It was removed in 1867 but brought back in 1970. If the governor's job becomes empty, the lieutenant governor takes over. Before the lieutenant governor role existed, the most senior member of the Governor's Council would act as governor. Later, this role went to the secretary of state.
No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
Thomas Johnson (1732–1819) |
March 21, 1777 – November 12, 1779 (did not run) |
No party | 1777 | Office did not exist | ||
1778 | ||||||||
2 | ![]() |
Thomas Sim Lee (1745–1819) |
November 12, 1779 – November 22, 1782 (term-limited) |
No party | 1779 | |||
1780 | ||||||||
1781 | ||||||||
3 | ![]() |
William Paca (1740–1799) |
November 22, 1782 – November 26, 1785 (term-limited) |
No party | 1782 | |||
1783 | ||||||||
1784 | ||||||||
4 | ![]() |
William Smallwood (1732–1792) |
November 26, 1785 – November 27, 1788 (term-limited) |
No party | 1785 | |||
1786 | ||||||||
1787 | ||||||||
5 | ![]() |
John Eager Howard (1752–1827) |
November 27, 1788 – November 14, 1791 (term-limited) |
Federalist | 1788 | |||
1789 | ||||||||
1790 | ||||||||
6 | ![]() |
George Plater (1735–1792) |
November 14, 1791 – February 10, 1792 (died in office) |
Federalist | 1791 | |||
— | ![]() |
James Brice (1746–1801) |
February 10, 1792 – April 5, 1792 (successor took office) |
Federalist | Senior council member acting |
|||
2 | ![]() |
Thomas Sim Lee (1745–1819) |
April 5, 1792 – November 17, 1794 (did not run) |
Federalist | 1792 | |||
1793 | ||||||||
7 | ![]() |
John Hoskins Stone (1749–1804) |
November 17, 1794 – November 28, 1797 (term-limited) |
Federalist | 1794 | |||
1795 | ||||||||
1796 | ||||||||
8 | ![]() |
John Henry (1750–1798) |
November 28, 1797 – November 14, 1798 (did not run) |
Federalist | 1797 | |||
9 | ![]() |
Benjamin Ogle (1749–1809) |
November 14, 1798 – November 10, 1801 (term-limited) |
Federalist | 1798 | |||
1799 | ||||||||
1800 | ||||||||
10 | ![]() |
John Francis Mercer (1759–1821) |
November 10, 1801 – November 13, 1803 (did not run) |
Democratic- Republican |
1801 | |||
1802 | ||||||||
11 | ![]() |
Robert Bowie (1750–1818) |
November 15, 1803 – November 12, 1806 (term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
1803 | |||
1804 | ||||||||
1805 | ||||||||
12 | ![]() |
Robert Wright (1752–1826) |
November 12, 1806 – May 6, 1809 (resigned) |
Democratic- Republican |
1806 | |||
1807 | ||||||||
1808 | ||||||||
— | ![]() |
James Butcher | May 6, 1809 – June 9, 1809 (successor took office) |
Democratic- Republican |
Senior council member acting |
|||
13 | ![]() |
Edward Lloyd (1779–1834) |
June 9, 1809 – November 16, 1811 (term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
June 1809 (special) |
|||
Nov. 1809 | ||||||||
1810 | ||||||||
11 | ![]() |
Robert Bowie (1750–1818) |
November 16, 1811 – November 23, 1812 (lost election) |
Democratic- Republican |
1811 | |||
14 | ![]() |
Levin Winder (1757–1819) |
November 23, 1812 – January 2, 1816 (term-limited) |
Federalist | 1812 | |||
1813 | ||||||||
1814 | ||||||||
15 | ![]() |
Charles Carnan Ridgely (1760–1829) |
January 2, 1816 – January 8, 1819 (term-limited) |
Federalist | 1815 | |||
1816 | ||||||||
1817 | ||||||||
16 | ![]() |
Charles Goldsborough (1765–1834) |
January 8, 1819 – December 20, 1819 (lost election) |
Federalist | 1818 | |||
17 | ![]() |
Samuel Sprigg (1783–1855) |
December 20, 1819 – December 16, 1822 (term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
1819 | |||
1820 | ||||||||
1821 | ||||||||
18 | ![]() |
Samuel Stevens Jr. (1778–1860) |
December 16, 1822 – January 9, 1826 (term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
1822 | |||
1823 | ||||||||
1824 | ||||||||
19 | ![]() |
Joseph Kent (1779–1837) |
January 9, 1826 – January 15, 1829 (term-limited) |
Democratic- Republican |
1826 | |||
1827 | ||||||||
1828 | ||||||||
20 | ![]() |
Daniel Martin (1780–1831) |
January 15, 1829 – January 15, 1830 (lost election) |
Anti-Jacksonian | 1829 | |||
21 | ![]() |
Thomas King Carroll (1793–1873) |
January 15, 1830 – January 13, 1831 (lost election) |
Jacksonian | 1830 | |||
20 | ![]() |
Daniel Martin (1780–1831) |
January 13, 1831 – July 11, 1831 (died in office) |
Anti-Jacksonian | 1831 | |||
22 | ![]() |
George Howard (1789–1846) |
July 11, 1831 – January 17, 1833 (did not run) |
Anti-Jacksonian | Senior council member acting |
|||
1832 | ||||||||
23 | ![]() |
James Thomas (1785–1845) |
January 17, 1833 – January 14, 1836 (term-limited) |
Anti-Jacksonian | 1833 | |||
1834 | ||||||||
1835 | ||||||||
24 | ![]() |
Thomas Veazey (1774–1842) |
January 14, 1836 – January 7, 1839 (term-limited) |
Whig | 1836 | |||
1837 | ||||||||
Jan. 1838 | ||||||||
25 | ![]() |
William Grason (1788–1868) |
January 7, 1839 – January 3, 1842 (term-limited) |
Democratic | Oct. 1838 | |||
26 | ![]() |
Francis Thomas (1799–1876) |
January 3, 1842 – January 6, 1845 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1841 | |||
27 | ![]() |
Thomas Pratt (1804–1869) |
January 6, 1845 – January 3, 1848 (term-limited) |
Whig | 1844 | |||
28 | ![]() |
Philip Francis Thomas (1810–1890) |
January 3, 1848 – January 6, 1851 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1847 | |||
29 | ![]() |
Enoch Louis Lowe (1820–1892) |
January 6, 1851 – January 11, 1854 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1850 | |||
30 | ![]() |
Thomas Watkins Ligon (1810–1881) |
January 11, 1854 – January 13, 1858 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1853 | |||
31 | ![]() |
Thomas Holliday Hicks (1798–1865) |
January 13, 1858 – January 8, 1862 (did not run) |
American | 1857 | |||
32 | ![]() |
Augustus Bradford (1806–1881) |
January 8, 1862 – January 10, 1866 (did not run) |
Union | 1861 | |||
33 | ![]() |
Thomas Swann (1809–1883) |
January 10, 1866 – January 13, 1869 (did not run) |
Union | 1864 | Christopher Christian Cox | ||
34 | ![]() |
Oden Bowie (1826–1894) |
January 13, 1869 – January 10, 1872 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1867 | Office did not exist | ||
35 | ![]() |
William Pinkney Whyte (1824–1908) |
January 10, 1872 – March 4, 1874 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1871 | |||
36 | ![]() |
James Black Groome (1838–1893) |
March 4, 1874 – January 12, 1876 (did not run) |
Democratic | Elected governor by legislature |
|||
37 | ![]() |
John Lee Carroll (1830–1911) |
January 12, 1876 – January 14, 1880 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1875 | |||
38 | ![]() |
William Thomas Hamilton (1820–1888) |
January 14, 1880 – January 9, 1884 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1879 | |||
39 | ![]() |
Robert Milligan McLane (1815–1898) |
January 9, 1884 – March 27, 1885 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1883 | |||
40 | ![]() |
Henry Lloyd (1852–1920) |
March 27, 1885 – January 11, 1888 (did not run) |
Democratic | President of the Senate acting |
|||
41 | ![]() |
Elihu Emory Jackson (1837–1907) |
January 11, 1888 – January 13, 1892 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1887 | |||
42 | ![]() |
Frank Brown (1846–1920) |
January 13, 1892 – January 8, 1896 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1891 | |||
43 | ![]() |
Lloyd Lowndes Jr. (1845–1905) |
January 8, 1896 – January 10, 1900 (lost election) |
Republican | 1895 | |||
44 | ![]() |
John Walter Smith (1845–1925) |
January 10, 1900 – January 13, 1904 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1899 | |||
45 | ![]() |
Edwin Warfield (1848–1920) |
January 13, 1904 – January 8, 1908 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1903 | |||
46 | ![]() |
Austin Lane Crothers (1860–1912) |
January 8, 1908 – January 10, 1912 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1907 | |||
47 | ![]() |
Phillips Lee Goldsborough (1865–1946) |
January 10, 1912 – January 12, 1916 (did not run) |
Republican | 1911 | |||
48 | ![]() |
Emerson Harrington (1864–1945) |
January 12, 1916 – January 14, 1920 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1915 | |||
49 | ![]() |
Albert Ritchie (1876–1936) |
January 14, 1920 – January 9, 1935 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1919 | |||
1923 | ||||||||
1926 | ||||||||
1930 | ||||||||
50 | ![]() |
Harry Nice (1877–1941) |
January 9, 1935 – January 11, 1939 (lost election) |
Republican | 1934 | |||
51 | ![]() |
Herbert O'Conor (1896–1960) |
January 11, 1939 – January 3, 1947 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1938 | |||
1942 | ||||||||
52 | ![]() |
William Preston Lane Jr. (1892–1967) |
January 3, 1947 – January 10, 1951 (lost election) |
Democratic | Elected by legislature |
|||
1946 | ||||||||
53 | ![]() |
Theodore McKeldin (1900–1974) |
January 10, 1951 – January 14, 1959 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1950 | |||
1954 | ||||||||
54 | ![]() |
J. Millard Tawes (1894–1979) |
January 14, 1959 – January 25, 1967 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1958 | |||
1962 | ||||||||
55 | ![]() |
Spiro Agnew (1918–1996) |
January 25, 1967 – January 7, 1969 (resigned) |
Republican | 1966 | |||
56 | ![]() |
Marvin Mandel (1920–2015) |
January 7, 1969 – January 17, 1979 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1969 (special) |
Blair Lee III | ||
1970 | ||||||||
1974 | ||||||||
— | ![]() |
Blair Lee III (1916–1985) |
June 4, 1977 – January 15, 1979 (did not run) |
Democratic | Lieutenant governor acting |
Acting as governor | ||
57 | ![]() |
Harry Hughes (1926–2019) |
January 17, 1979 – January 21, 1987 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1978 | Samuel Bogley | ||
1982 | J. Joseph Curran Jr. | |||||||
58 | ![]() |
William Donald Schaefer (1921–2011) |
January 21, 1987 – January 18, 1995 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1986 | Melvin Steinberg | ||
1990 | ||||||||
59 | ![]() |
Parris Glendening (b. 1942) |
January 18, 1995 – January 15, 2003 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 1994 | Kathleen Kennedy Townsend | ||
1998 | ||||||||
60 | ![]() |
Bob Ehrlich (b. 1957) |
January 15, 2003 – January 17, 2007 (lost election) |
Republican | 2002 | Michael Steele | ||
61 | ![]() |
Martin O'Malley (b. 1963) |
January 17, 2007 – January 21, 2015 (term-limited) |
Democratic | 2006 | Anthony Brown | ||
2010 | ||||||||
62 | ![]() |
Larry Hogan (b. 1956) |
January 21, 2015 – January 18, 2023 (term-limited) |
Boyd Rutherford | 2014 | |||
2018 | ||||||||
63 | ![]() |
Wes Moore (b. 1978) |
January 18, 2023 – Incumbent |
Democratic | 2022 | Aruna Miller |
See Also
- Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Maryland
- List of Maryland General Assemblies