List of governors of Maryland facts for kids

The governor of Maryland is like the principal of the entire state of Maryland! They are the main leader of the state government. The governor is also in charge of Maryland's military forces. This job is very important, and Maryland's governors have a lot of power compared to governors in other U.S. states.

The person who is currently the governor is Wes Moore. He is a Democrat and started his job on January 18, 2023.

Maryland's Governors: A Look Back

Maryland was one of the first Thirteen Colonies that formed the United States. It officially became a state on April 28, 1788. Before that, it was a colony ruled by the Kingdom of Great Britain.

How Governors Were Chosen Over Time

When Maryland first became a state, its original constitution (a set of rules for the government) was written in 1776. Back then, the state's main law-making group, called the General Assembly, chose the governor. Governors served for one year at a time. They could be chosen again for two more years. After that, they had to take a break for four years before they could be governor again.

In 1838, a change was made to the constitution. This new rule allowed people to vote for their governor directly! Governors would then serve for three years. However, they still couldn't be chosen right after their term ended.

Another big change happened with the 1851 constitution. This removed the rule about not being able to serve again right away. It also made the governor's term longer, to four years. These terms would start in January after the election. Later, in 1948, a new rule was added. Governors could only serve two terms in a row.

The Lieutenant Governor's Role

The job of lieutenant governor was created in 1864. This position is like a vice-principal. The lieutenant governor helps the governor. If the governor's job becomes empty for any reason, the lieutenant governor steps in to become governor. The lieutenant governor position was removed in 1867 but brought back in 1970.

Before the lieutenant governor role existed, if the governor's job was empty, a senior member of the Governor's Council would take over. Later, in 1837, this responsibility went to the secretary of state.

List of Maryland's Governors

This table shows the people who have served as governor of Maryland since it became a state.

Governors of the State of Maryland

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		Cox, Christopher ChristianChristopher 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)		Lee III, BlairBlair 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		Bogley, SamuelSamuel Bogley
						1982		Curran Jr., J. JosephJ. Joseph Curran Jr.
58			William Donald Schaefer (1921–2011)	January 21, 1987 – January 18, 1995 (term-limited)	Democratic	1986		Steinberg, MelvinMelvin Steinberg
						1990
59			Parris Glendening (b. 1942)	January 18, 1995 – January 15, 2003 (term-limited)	Democratic	1994		Townsend, Kathleen KennedyKathleen Kennedy Townsend
						1998
60			Bob Ehrlich (b. 1957)	January 15, 2003 – January 17, 2007 (lost election)	Republican	2002		Steele, MichaelMichael Steele
61			Martin O'Malley (b. 1963)	January 17, 2007 – January 21, 2015 (term-limited)	Democratic	2006		Brown, AnthonyAnthony Brown
						2010
62			Larry Hogan (b. 1956)	January 21, 2015 – January 18, 2023 (term-limited)		Rutherford, BoydBoyd Rutherford	2014
							2018
63			Wes Moore (b. 1978)	January 18, 2023 – Incumbent	Democratic	2022		Miller, ArunaAruna Miller