List of governors of Maryland

The governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Maryland and is 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]

List of Governors

Federalist (8)   Democratic-Republican (9)   Anti-Jacksonian (3)   Jacksonian (1)   Whig (3)   Democratic (29)   Constitutional Union (1)   Republican (9)
Governor[3]				Term in office[4]	Party	Term	Previous office[4]	Lieutenant governor[5][a]
1			Thomas Johnson (1732-11-04)November 4, 1732 – (1819-10-26)October 26, 1819 (Aged 86)	March 21, 1777 – November 12, 1779	Independent	1 (1777)	Continental Congress (1774–1775)	None
						2 (1778)
2			Thomas Sim Lee (1745-10-29)October 29, 1745 – (1819-11-09)November 9, 1819 (Aged 74)	November 12, 1779 – November 22, 1782	Independent	3 (1779)	Governor's Executive Council (1777–1779)
						4 (1780)
						5 (1781)
3			William Paca (1740-10-31)October 31, 1740 – (1799-10-13)October 13, 1799 (Aged 58)	November 22, 1782 – November 26, 1785	Independent	6 (1782)	Maryland State Senator (1777–1779)
						7 (1783)
						8 (1784)
4			William Smallwood 1732 – (1792-02-14)February 14, 1792 (Aged 59–60)	November 26, 1785 – November 24, 1788	Independent	9 (1785)	Colonel Continental Army Maryland State Delegate (1761–1774)
						10 (1786)
						11 (1787)
5			John Eager Howard (1752-06-04)June 4, 1752 – (1827-10-12)October 12, 1827 (Aged 75)	November 24, 1788 – November 14, 1791	Federalist	12 (1788)	Captain Continental Army Continental Congress (1787–1788)
						13 (1789)
						14 (1790)
6			George Plater (1735-11-08)November 8, 1735 – (1792-02-10)February 10, 1792 (Aged 56)	November 14, 1791 – February 10, 1792	Federalist	15 (1791)	Maryland State Senator (1777–1790)
			James Brice (1746-08-26)August 26, 1746 – (1801-07-11)July 11, 1801 (Aged 55)	February 10, 1792 – April 5, 1792[b]	Federalist		Mayor of Annapolis (1782–1783; 1787–1788)
7			Thomas Sim Lee (1745-10-29)October 29, 1745 – (1819-11-09)November 9, 1819 (Aged 74)	April 5, 1792 – November 14, 1794	Federalist	16 (1792)	Governor of Maryland (1779–1782) Continental Congress (1783–1784)
						17 (1793)
8			John Hoskins Stone 1750 – (1804-10-05)October 5, 1804 (Aged 53–54)	November 14, 1794 – November 17, 1797	Federalist	18 (1794)	Maryland State Delegate (1790)
						19 (1795)
						20 (1796)
9			John Henry November 1750 – (1798-12-16)December 16, 1798 (Aged 48)	November 17, 1797 – November 14, 1798	Democratic-Republican	21 (1797)	Maryland State Senator (1789–1797)
10			Benjamin Ogle (1749-01-27)January 27, 1749 – (1809-07-07)July 7, 1809 (Aged 60)	November 14, 1798 – November 10, 1801	Federalist	22 (1798)	None
						23 (1799)
						24 (1800)
11			John F. Mercer (1759-05-17)May 17, 1759 – (1821-07-30)July 30, 1821 (Aged 62)	November 10, 1801 – November 13, 1803	Democratic-Republican	25 (1801)	U.S. Representative from Maryland's 2nd (1793–1794)
						26 (1802)
12			Robert Bowie March 1750 – (1818-01-08)January 8, 1818 (Aged 67)	November 15, 1803 – November 10, 1806	Democratic-Republican	27 (1803)	Maryland State Delegate (1801–1803)
						28 (1804)
						29 (1805)
13			Robert Wright (1752-11-20)November 20, 1752 – (1826-09-07)September 7, 1826 (Aged 73)	November 12, 1806 – June 9, 1809	Democratic-Republican	30 (1806)	U.S. Senator from Maryland (1801–1806)
						31 (1807)
						32 (1808)
14			Edward Lloyd V (1779-07-22)July 22, 1779 – (1834-06-02)June 2, 1834 (Aged 54)	June 9, 1809 – November 16, 1811	Democratic-Republican	33 (1809)	Maryland State Delegate (1800–1805)
						34 (1810)
15			Levin Winder (1757-09-04)September 4, 1757 – (1819-07-01)July 1, 1819 (Aged 61)	November 25, 1812 – January 2, 1816	Federalist	36 (1812)	Maryland State Delegate (1806–1809)
						37 (1813)
						38 (1814)
16			Charles Carnan Ridgely (1760-12-06)December 6, 1760 – (1829-07-17)July 17, 1829 (Aged 68)	January 2, 1816 – January 8, 1819	Federalist	39 (1816)	Maryland State Senator (1796–1800)
						40 (1817)
						41 (1818)
17			Charles Goldsborough (1765-07-15)July 15, 1765 – (1834-12-13)December 13, 1834 (Aged 69)	January 8, 1819 – December 20, 1819	Federalist	42 (1819)	U.S. Representative from Maryland's 8th (1805–1817)
18			Samuel Sprigg 1783 – (1855-04-21)April 21, 1855 (Aged 71–72)	December 20, 1819 – December 16, 1822	Democratic-Republican	43 (1819)	None
						44 (1820)
						45 (1821)
19			Samuel Stevens Jr. (1778-07-13)July 13, 1778 – (1860-02-07)February 7, 1860 (Aged 81)	December 16, 1822 – January 9, 1826	Democratic-Republican	46 (1822)	Maryland State Delegate (1819–1820)
						47 (1823)
						48 (1824)
20			Joseph Kent (1779-01-14)January 14, 1779 – (1837-11-24)November 24, 1837 (Aged 58)	January 9, 1826 – January 15, 1829	Democratic-Republican	49 (1826)	U.S. Representative from Maryland's 2nd (1819–1826)
						50 (1827)
						51 (1828)
21			Daniel Martin December 1780 – (1831-07-11)July 11, 1831 (Aged 50)	January 15, 1829 – January 15, 1830	Anti-Jacksonian	52 (1829)	Maryland State Delegate (1819–1820)
22			Thomas King Carroll (1793-04-29)April 29, 1793 – (1873-10-03)October 3, 1873 (Aged 80)	January 15, 1830 – January 13, 1831	Jacksonian	53 (1830)	Maryland State Delegate (1816–1817)
23			Daniel Martin December 1780 – (1831-07-11)July 11, 1831 (Aged 50)	January 13, 1831 – July 11, 1831	Anti-Jacksonian	54 (1831)	Maryland State Delegate (1819–1820)
24			George Howard (1789-11-21)November 21, 1789 – (1846-08-02)August 2, 1846 (Aged 56)	July 11, 1831 – January 17, 1833	Anti-Jacksonian		None
						55 (1832)
25			James Thomas (1785-03-11)March 11, 1785 – (1845-12-25)December 25, 1845 (Aged 60)	January 17, 1833 – January 14, 1836	Whig	56 (1833)	Maryland State Senator (1826–1831)
						57 (1834)
						58 (1835)
26			Thomas Veazey (1774-01-31)January 31, 1774 – (1842-07-01)July 1, 1842 (Aged 68)	January 14, 1836 – January 7, 1839	Whig	59 (1836)	Maryland State Delegate (1811–1812)
						60 (1837)
						61 (1838)
27			William Grason (1788-03-11)March 11, 1788 – (1868-07-02)July 2, 1868 (Aged 80)	January 7, 1839 – January 3, 1842 [c]	Democratic	62 (1838)	Maryland State Delegate (1837)
28			Francis Thomas (1799-02-03)February 3, 1799 – (1876-01-22)January 22, 1876 (Aged 76)	January 3, 1842 – January 6, 1845	Democratic	63 (1841)	U.S. Representative from Maryland's 6th (1835–1841)
29			Thomas Pratt (1804-02-18)February 18, 1804 – (1869-11-09)November 9, 1869 (Aged 65)	January 6, 1845 – January 3, 1848	Whig	64 (1844)	Maryland State Delegate (1832–1835)
30			Philip F. Thomas (1810-09-12)September 12, 1810 – (1890-10-02)October 2, 1890 (Aged 80)	January 3, 1848 – January 6, 1851	Democratic	65 (1847)	U.S. Representative from Maryland's 1st (1839–1841)
31			Enoch Lowe (1820-08-10)August 10, 1820 – (1892-08-23)August 23, 1892 (Aged 72)	January 6, 1851 – January 11, 1854	Democratic	66 (1850)	Maryland State Delegate (1845)
32			Thomas Watkins Ligon (1810-05-10)May 10, 1810 – (1881-01-12)January 12, 1881 (Aged 70)	January 11, 1854 – January 13, 1858	Democratic	67 (1853)	U.S. Representative from Maryland's 3rd (1845–1849)
33			Thomas H. Hicks (1798-09-02)September 2, 1798 – (1865-02-14)February 14, 1865 (Aged 66)	January 13, 1858 – January 8, 1862	Constitutional Union	68 (1857)	Maryland State Delegate (1830–1836)
34			Augustus Bradford (1806-01-09)January 9, 1806 – (1881-03-01)March 1, 1881 (Aged 75)	January 8, 1862 – January 10, 1866	Republican	N/A	Baltimore County Clerk of Courts (1845–1851)
35			Thomas Swann (1809-03-03)March 3, 1809 – (1883-07-24)July 24, 1883 (Aged 74)	January 10, 1866 – January 13, 1869	Republican		Mayor of Baltimore (1856–1860)		Christopher C. Cox[d]
36			Oden Bowie (1826-11-10)November 10, 1826 – (1894-12-04)December 4, 1894 (Aged 68)	January 13, 1869 – January 10, 1872	Democratic	69 (1867)	Maryland State Senator (1867–1869)	None
37			William Pinkney Whyte (1824-08-09)August 9, 1824 – (1908-03-17)March 17, 1908 (Aged 83)	January 10, 1872 – March 4, 1874	Democratic	70 (1871)	U.S. Senator from Maryland (1868–1869)
38			James Black Groome (1838-04-04)April 4, 1838 – (1893-10-05)October 5, 1893 (Aged 55)	March 4, 1874 – January 12, 1876	Democratic		Maryland State Delegate (1872–1874)
39			John Lee Carroll (1830-09-30)September 30, 1830 – (1911-02-27)February 27, 1911 (Aged 80)	January 12, 1876 – January 14, 1880	Democratic	71 (1875)	Maryland State Senator (1867–1876)
40			William T. Hamilton (1820-09-08)September 8, 1820 – (1888-10-26)October 26, 1888 (Aged 68)	January 14, 1880 – January 9, 1884	Democratic	72 (1879)	U.S. Senator from Maryland (1869–1875)
41			Robert Milligan McLane (1815-06-23)June 23, 1815 – (1898-04-16)April 16, 1898 (Aged 82)	January 9, 1884 – March 27, 1885	Democratic	73 (1883)	U.S. Representative from Maryland's 4th (1879–1883)
42			Henry Lloyd (1852-02-21)February 21, 1852 – (1920-12-20)December 20, 1920 (Aged 68)	March 27, 1885 – January 11, 1888	Democratic		Maryland State Senator (1882–1885)
43			Elihu Emory Jackson (1837-11-03)November 3, 1837 – (1907-12-27)December 27, 1907 (Aged 70)	January 11, 1888 – January 13, 1892	Democratic	74 (1887)	Maryland State Senator (1884–1886)
44			Frank Brown (1846-08-08)August 8, 1846 – (1920-02-03)February 3, 1920 (Aged 73)	January 13, 1892 – January 8, 1896	Democratic	75 (1891)	Maryland State Delegate (1876–1878)
45			Lloyd Lowndes Jr. (1845-02-21)February 21, 1845 – (1905-01-08)January 8, 1905 (Aged 59)	January 8, 1896 – January 10, 1900	Republican	76 (1895)	U.S. Representative from Maryland's 6th (1873–1875)
46			John W. Smith (1845-02-05)February 5, 1845 – (1925-04-19)April 19, 1925 (Aged 80)	January 10, 1900 – January 13, 1904	Democratic	77 (1899)	U.S. Representative from Maryland's 1st (1899–1900)
47			Edwin Warfield (1848-05-07)May 7, 1848 – (1920-03-31)March 31, 1920 (Aged 71)	January 13, 1904 – January 8, 1908	Democratic	78 (1903)	Maryland State Senator (1881–1887)
48			Austin Lane Crothers (1860-05-17)May 17, 1860 – (1912-05-25)May 25, 1912 (Aged 52)	January 8, 1908 – January 10, 1912	Democratic	79 (1907)	Maryland State Delegate (1897–1900)
49			Phillips Lee Goldsborough (1865-08-06)August 6, 1865 – (1946-10-22)October 22, 1946 (Aged 81)	January 10, 1912 – January 12, 1916	Republican	80 (1911)	Comptroller of Maryland (1898–1900)
50			Emerson Harrington (1864-03-26)March 26, 1864 – (1945-12-15)December 15, 1945 (Aged 81)	January 12, 1916 – January 14, 1920	Democratic	81 (1915)	Comptroller of Maryland (1912–1916)
51			Albert Ritchie (1876-08-29)August 29, 1876 – (1936-02-24)February 24, 1936 (Aged 59)	January 14, 1920 – January 9, 1935	Democratic	82 (1919)	Attorney General of Maryland (1915–1919)
						83 (1923)
						84 (1926)
						85 (1930)
52			Harry Nice (1877-12-05)December 5, 1877 – (1941-02-25)February 25, 1941 (Aged 63)	January 9, 1935 – January 11, 1939	Republican	86 (1934)	Baltimore City Alderman (1903–1905)
53			Herbert O'Conor (1896-11-17)November 17, 1896 – (1960-03-04)March 4, 1960 (Aged 63)	January 11, 1939 – January 3, 1947	Democratic	87 (1938)	Attorney General of Maryland (1935–1939)
						88 (1942)
54			William Preston Lane Jr. (1892-05-12)May 12, 1892 – (1967-02-07)February 7, 1967 (Aged 74)	January 3, 1947 – January 10, 1951	Democratic	89 (1946)	Attorney General of Maryland (1930–1934)
55			Theodore Roosevelt McKeldin (1900-11-20)November 20, 1900 – (1974-08-10)August 10, 1974 (Aged 73)	January 10, 1951 – January 14, 1959	Republican	90 (1950)	Mayor of Baltimore (1943–1947)
						91 (1954)
56			John Millard Tawes (1894-04-08)April 8, 1894 – (1979-06-25)June 25, 1979 (Aged 85)	January 14, 1959 – January 25, 1967	Democratic	92 (1958)	Comptroller of Maryland (1950–1959)
						93 (1962)
57			Spiro T. Agnew (1918-11-09)November 9, 1918 – (1996-09-17)September 17, 1996 (Aged 77)	January 25, 1967 – January 7, 1969	Republican	94 (1966)	Baltimore County Executive (1962–1966)
58			Marvin Mandel (1920-04-19)April 19, 1920 – (2015-08-30)August 30, 2015 (Aged 95)	January 7, 1969 – January 17, 1979	Democratic	95 (1969)[e]	Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates (1964–1969)		Blair Lee III
						96 (1970)
						97 (1974)
			Blair Lee III (1916-05-19)May 19, 1916 – (1985-10-25)October 25, 1985 (Aged 69)	June 4, 1977 – January 15, 1979[f]	Democratic		Lieutenant Governor of Maryland (1971–1979)		Blair Lee III (Continued to serve as Lieutenant Governor while Acting Governor)
59			Harry Hughes (1926-11-13)November 13, 1926 – (2019-03-13)March 13, 2019 (Aged 92)	January 17, 1979 – January 20, 1987	Democratic	98 (1978)	Maryland State Senator (1959–1971)		Samuel Bogley
						99 (1982)			J. Joseph Curran Jr.
60			William Donald Schaefer (1921-11-02)November 2, 1921 – (2011-04-18)April 18, 2011 (Aged 89)	January 20, 1987 – January 18, 1995	Democratic	100 (1986)	Mayor of Baltimore (1971–1987)		Melvin Steinberg
						101 (1990)
61			Parris N. Glendening (1942-06-11)June 11, 1942 (Age 82)	January 18, 1995 – January 15, 2003	Democratic	102 (1994)	Prince George's County Executive (1983–1994)		Kathleen Kennedy Townsend
						103 (1998)
62			Robert (Bob) Ehrlich Jr. (1957-11-25)November 25, 1957 (Age 67)	January 15, 2003 – January 17, 2007	Republican	104 (2002)	U.S. Representative from Maryland's 2nd (1995–2003)		Michael Steele
63			Martin O'Malley (1963-01-18)January 18, 1963 (Age 62)	January 17, 2007 – January 21, 2015	Democratic	105 (2006)	Mayor of Baltimore (1999–2007)		Anthony G. Brown
						106 (2010)
64			Lawrence (Larry) Hogan Jr. (1956-05-25)May 25, 1956 (Age 68)	January 21, 2015 – January 18, 2023	Republican	107 (2014)	Maryland Secretary of Appointments (2003–2007)		Boyd Rutherford
						108 (2018)
65			Westley (Wes) Moore (1978-10-15)October 15, 1978 (Age 46)	January 18, 2023 – Incumbent	Democratic	109 (2022)	CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation (2017–2021)		Aruna Miller

1. Maryland did not have a Lieutenant Governor until 1864; the office was abolished in 1867 and re-established in 1970.^[6][7]
2. Served as Acting Governor following the death of Governor George Plater.^[8]
3. First directly-elected Governor of Maryland.^[9]
4. The office of Lieutenant Governor was created under the Constitution of 1864, but abolished in 1867.^[10]
5. Elected by the Maryland General Assembly to fill the vacancy left by Spiro Agnew's resignation, following his election to the U.S. vice presidency. Mandel was elected to a full term in 1970.^[11]
6. Served as Acting Governor after Governor Marvin Mandel ran into legal problems and transferred over the powers of Governor to Blair Lee. Governor Mandel rescinded his appointment two days before the term ended.^[12]

References

1. "Maryland Governor – Origin & Functions". Maryland Manual Online. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2007.
2. Prah, Pamela (March 9, 2007). "Massachusetts gov rated most powerful (archived)". Stateline.Org. Archived from the original on May 28, 2008. Retrieved June 25, 2007.
3. "Archives of Maryland Historical List Governors of Maryland, 1634--". Maryland State Archives. January 21, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
4. "Maryland : Past Governors Bios". National Governors Association. 2015. Archived from the original on November 3, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
5. "Maryland Lieutenant Governors". Maryland State Archives. May 1, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
6. Dayhoff, Kevin (December 7, 2005). "Why We Have a Lieutenant Governor". The Tentacle. Archived from the original on April 2, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
7. Papenfouse, Edward. The Archives of Maryland, new series, An Historical List of Public Officials of Maryland. Vol. I. Annapolis, MD: Maryland State Archives: 1990.
8. Buchholz, Heinrich Ewald (1908). "Appendix B". Governors of Maryland: From the Revolution to the Year 1908 (Second ed.). Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins Company.
9. Shaum, Jack (May 21, 2006). "Two Maryland Governors were Queen Anne's natives". The Star Democrat. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
10. Smith, Herbert Charles; Willis, John T. (2012). "The Maryland Governor and the Executive Branch". Maryland Politics and Government: Democratic Dominance. Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-0-8032-3790-2.
11. Clymer, Adam (August 30, 2015). "Marvin Mandel, Progressive Maryland Governor Convicted of Fraud, Dies at 95". The New York Times. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
12. "Blair Lee III (1916–1985)". Maryland State Archives. Retrieved September 13, 2017.