Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
| Maryland Lieutenant Governor | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $172,000 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Maryland Constitution, Article II, Section IA |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
Aruna Miller | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | 2026 |
| Last election: | 2022 |
| Other Maryland Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Comptroller • Treasurer • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Secretary • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Secretary of Labor • Public Service Commission | |
The Lieutenant Governor of Maryland is an elected constitutional officer, the second ranking officer of the executive branch and the first officer in line to succeed the Governor of Maryland. The lieutenant governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality on a joint ticket with the governor and has no term limit.[1]
Current officeholder
- See also: Current Lieutenant Governors
The current Lieutenant Governor of Maryland is Aruna Miller (D). Miller assumed office in 2023.
Authority
The Maryland Constitution establishes the office of the lieutenant governor in Article II, the Executive Department.[1]
Under Article II, Section IA:
|
There shall be a Lieutenant Governor, who shall have only the duties delegated to him by the Governor... |
Qualifications
A candidate for lieutenant governor must be:[1]
- at least 30 years old
- a resident and registered voter in Maryland for the five years preceding the election
Elections
- See also: Gubernatorial election cycles by state
- See also: Election of lieutenant governors
Maryland elects lieutenant governors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not presidential election years (e.g. 2018, 2022, 2026, and 2030). Legally, the lieutenant gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the third Wednesday in the January following an election.
In Maryland, the governor and lieutenant governor are elected on a joint ticket. In the event of a tie, the legislature shall meet and cast ballots to choose the governor and the lieutenant governor.[1]
Election results
See also: Maryland gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2030
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
See also: Maryland gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026
Maryland gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026 (June 23 Democratic primary)
Maryland gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026 (June 23 Republican primary)
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
Incumbent Aruna Miller (D), Rob Krop (R), Owen Silverman Andrews (G), and Cathy Permut (Working Class Party) are running in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
  | Wes Moore (D)  / Aruna Miller (D) | |
  | Dan Cox (R) / Rob Krop (R) | |
  | Andy Ellis (G) / Owen Silverman Andrews (G) | |
 | Cathy White (Working Class Party) / Cathy Permut (Working Class Party) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary
Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
Incumbent Aruna Miller (D) defeated LaTrece Hawkins Lytes (D) in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland on June 23, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Wes Moore / Aruna Miller | 88.3 | 558,768 |
  | Eric Felber / LaTrece Hawkins Lytes | 11.7 | 74,312 | |
| Total votes: 633,080 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Ralph Jaffe (D) / Donald Palmore (D)
Republican primary
Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland on June 23, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Dan Cox / Rob Krop | 43.3 | 89,982 |
 | Ed Hale / Tyrone Keys Jr. | 36.0 | 74,877 | |
  | John Myrick / Brenda Thiam | 6.4 | 13,200 | |
| Carl Brunner Jr. / Kevin Rhodes Sr. | 6.1 | 12,700 | ||
  | Shannon Wright / Reba Hawkins | 2.4 | 4,907 | |
 | L.D. Burkindine / Jeremy Shifflett | 1.8 | 3,746 | |
| Nancy Taylor / Rachel Swift | 1.8 | 3,690 | ||
| Michael Oakes / Ronald Abend | 1.2 | 2,583 | ||
 | Douglas Larcomb / Martina Duncan | 1.0 | 2,132 | |
| Total votes: 207,817 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Kurt Wedekind (R) / Shannon Wright (R)
See also: Maryland gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
The following candidates ran in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Wes Moore (D) / Aruna Miller (D) | 64.5 | 1,293,944 |
 | Dan Cox (R) / Gordana Schifanelli (R) | 32.1 | 644,000 | |
  | David Lashar (L) / Christiana Logansmith (L) | 1.5 | 30,101 | |
 | David Harding (Working Class Party) / Cathy White (Working Class Party) | 0.9 | 17,154 | |
  | Nancy Wallace (G) / Patrick Elder (G) | 0.7 | 14,580 | |
  | Kyle Sefcik (Independent) / Katie Lee (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 596 | |
| Kyle Sefcik (Independent) / Katie Lee (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 596 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2% | 4,848 | ||
| Total votes: 2,005,223 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary
Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland on July 19, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Wes Moore / Aruna Miller | 32.4 | 217,524 |
  | Tom Perez / Shannon Sneed | 30.1 | 202,175 | |
  | Peter Franchot / Monique Anderson-Walker | 21.1 | 141,586 | |
  | Rushern Baker III / Nancy Navarro (Withdrew, still on ballot) | 4.0 | 26,594 | |
  | Douglas F. Gansler / Candace Hollingsworth | 3.8 | 25,481 | |
  | John B. King Jr. / Michelle Siri | 3.7 | 24,882 | |
 | Ashwani Jain / LaTrece Hawkins Lytes | 2.1 | 13,784 | |
  | Jon Baron / Natalie Williams | 1.8 | 11,880 | |
  | Jerry Segal / Justin Dispenza | 0.6 | 4,276 | |
 | Ralph Jaffe / Mark Greben | 0.4 | 2,978 | |
| Total votes: 671,160 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary
Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
Gordana Schifanelli (R) defeated Jeff Woolford (R), LeRoy Yegge Jr. (R), and Minh Thanh Luong (R) in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland on July 19, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Dan Cox / Gordana Schifanelli | 52.0 | 153,423 |
  | Kelly Schulz / Jeff Woolford | 43.5 | 128,302 | |
  | Robin Ficker / LeRoy Yegge Jr. | 2.8 | 8,268 | |
 | Joe Werner / Minh Thanh Luong | 1.7 | 5,075 | |
| Total votes: 295,068 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
Incumbent Boyd Rutherford (R) defeated Susan Turnbull (D), Christina Smith (L), and Annie Chambers (G) in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |   | Larry Hogan (R) / Boyd Rutherford (R) | 55.4 | 1,275,644 |
 | Ben Jealous (D) / Susan Turnbull (D) | 43.5 | 1,002,639 | |
  | Shawn Quinn (L) / Christina Smith (L) | 0.6 | 13,241 | |
  | Ian Schlakman (G) / Annie Chambers (G) | 0.5 | 11,175 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1% | 1,813 | ||
| Total votes: 2,304,5120 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary
Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland on June 26, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ben Jealous / Susan Turnbull | 39.6 | 231,895 |
 | Rushern Baker III / Elizabeth Embry | 29.3 | 171,697 | |
 | Jim Shea / Brandon Scott | 8.3 | 48,647 | |
 | Krishanti Vignarajah / Sharon Blake | 8.2 | 48,042 | |
 | Richard Madaleno / Luwanda Jenkins | 5.8 | 34,184 | |
| Valerie Ervin / Marisol Johnson (Withdrew, still on ballot) | 3.2 | 18,851 | ||
| Alec Ross / Julie Verratti | 2.4 | 13,780 | ||
| Ralph Jaffe / Freda Jaffe | 1.6 | 9,405 | |
| James Jones / Charles Waters | 1.6 | 9,188 | ||
| Total votes: 585,689 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Kevin Kamenetz (D) (Withdrew, still on ballot) / Valerie Ervin (D) (Withdrew, still on ballot)
Republican primary
Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
Incumbent Boyd Rutherford (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland on June 26, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Larry Hogan / Boyd Rutherford | 100.0 | 210,935 |
| Total votes: 210,935 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Vacancies
| State Executives |
|---|
 |
| Current Governors |
| Gubernatorial Elections |
| 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 |
| Current Lt. Governors |
| Lt. Governor Elections |
| 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 |
A vacancy in the lieutenant governorship is filled by a person nominated by the governor and confirmed by a majority vote of the Maryland General Assembly in joint session.
Duties
Under the 1970 amendment to the state constitution, the lieutenant governor "shall have only the duties delegated to him by the 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 which the governor cannot attend, and advises the governor. If there is a vacancy in the office of the governor, the lieutenant governor becomes the governor.[1]
Divisions
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Budget
- See also: Maryland state budget and finances
The Office of the Lieutenant Governor did not appear as a line item in the fiscal year 2026 budget. If you have information related to the budget for this office, please email us and let us know.
Compensation
- See also: Comparison of lieutenant gubernatorial salaries and Compensation of state executive officers
The salaries of the governor and lieutenant governor are decided upon by the Governor’s Salary Commission, a seven-member commission created by a 1976 amendment in Section 21A of the Maryland Constitution. The commission includes three members appointed by the President of the Senate, and three members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates. Appointees serve a four-year term.
The commission may not recommend, and the general assembly may not amend, the salary to be lower than that most recently received by the incumbent governor. Whatever the outcome, the decided-upon salary takes effect with the beginning of the next gubernatorial term. If either the commission or the general assembly fails to take action, the same salary already in place applies.[2]
Maryland Constitution, Article II Section 21A
| (c) Within 10 days after the commencement of the regular session of the General Assembly in 1978, and within 10 days after the commencement of the regular session of the General Assembly each fourth year thereafter, the commission shall make a written recommendation to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and other members of the General Assembly as to the salary of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor.
(e) The commission may not recommend salaries lower than that received by the incumbent Governor at the time the recommendation is made and the General Assembly may not amend the joint resolution to provide for salaries lower than that received by the incumbent Governor and Lieutenant Governor. |
| Year | Salary | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $172,000 | Source 1 |
| 2024 | $175,000 | Source 1 |
| 2023 | $165,000 | Source 1 |
| 2022 | $149,500 | Source 1 |
| 2021 | $149,500 | Source 1 |
| 2020 | $141,500 | Source 1 |
| 2019 | $141,500 | Source 1 |
| 2018 | $141,500 | Source 1 |
| 2017 | $141,500 | Source 1 |
| 2016 | $141,500 | Source 1 |
| 2015 | $125,000 | Source 1 |
| 2014 | $125,000 | Source 1 |
| 2013 | $125,000 | Source 1 |
| 2012 | $125,000 | Source 1 |
| 2011 | $125,000 | Source 1 |
| 2010 | $125,000 | Source 1 |
Historical officeholders
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Recent news
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Contact information
100 State Circle
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Phone: (410) 974-3901
See also
| Maryland | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
