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Lieutenant Governor of Maryland

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Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
Coat of arms of the state of Maryland
Incumbent
Aruna Miller
since January 18, 2023
Government of Maryland
Style
Term lengthFour years, renewable once, but renewable again after a 4-year respite
Inaugural holderChristopher C. Cox
FormationJanuary 1971
WebsiteOffice 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.

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

History

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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

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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

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Parties

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

Under the Maryland Constitution of 1864

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Constitution was amended to abolish the office of Lieutenant Governor after Cox's tenure.
No. Lieutenant Governor Party Term
1 Christopher C. Cox Unionist 1865–1868

Under the Maryland Constitution of 1867

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Constitution amended November 4, 1970, to re-create the office of Lieutenant Governor.
No. Lieutenant Governor Party Term start Term end Governor
2 Blair Lee III Democratic January 20, 1971 January 17, 1979 Marvin Mandel
3 Samuel W. Bogley Democratic January 17, 1979 January 19, 1983 Harry Hughes
4 J. Joseph Curran Jr. Democratic January 19, 1983 January 21, 1987
5 Melvin A. Steinberg Democratic January 21, 1987 January 18, 1995 William D. Schaefer
6 Kathleen Kennedy Townsend Democratic January 18, 1995 January 15, 2003 Parris Glendening
7 Michael Steele Republican January 15, 2003 January 17, 2007 Bob Ehrlich
8 Anthony Brown Democratic January 17, 2007 January 21, 2015 Martin O'Malley
9 Boyd Rutherford Republican January 21, 2015 January 18, 2023 Larry Hogan
10 Aruna Miller Democratic January 18, 2023 Incumbent Wes Moore

See also

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References

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  • Maryland State Archives. (October 20, 2017). Maryland Manual On-Line: A Guide to Maryland Government. "Lieutenant Governor". Retrieved August 15, 2020.