Maryland Republican Party

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Maryland Republican Party
AbbreviationMDGOP
ChairpersonDirk Haire
GovernorLarry Hogan
Lieutenant GovernorBoyd Rutherford
House LeaderJason C. Buckel
Senate LeaderBryan Simonaire
Founded1854
Headquarters91 Main St 2nd Floor, Annapolis, MD 21401
Student wingMaryland Federation of College Republicans
Youth wingMaryland Young Republicans
Women's wingMaryland Federation of Republican Women
LGBT WingLog Cabin Republicans of Maryland
Membership (2021)Increase1,021,513[1]
IdeologyConservatism
Political positionCenter-right[2]
National affiliationRepublican Party
Senate
15 / 47
House of Delegates
42 / 141
U.S. Senate
0 / 2
U.S. House of Representatives
1 / 8
Statewide Officers
2 / 4
County Executives
3 / 9
County Council / Commission Seats
74 / 129
Website
http://www.mdgop.org/

The Maryland Republican Party is the Maryland state branch of the Republican Party (GOP), headquartered in Annapolis.[3]

Number of self-identified Democrats vs. self-identified Republicans, per state, according to Gallup, January–June 2010, showing Maryland as third most Democratic.[4]

Current elected officials[5][]

Members of Congress[]

U.S. Senate

  • None

Both of Maryland's U.S. Senate seats have been held by Democrats since 1987. Charles Mathias was the last Republican to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate.

U.S. House of Representatives[]

District Member Photo
1st Andy Harris
Andy Harris 115th Congress (cropped).jpg

Statewide offices[]

  • Larry Hogan, Governor of Maryland
  • Boyd Rutherford, Lieutenant Governor of Maryland

State Legislature[]

State Party[]

The Republican Party is the minority party in both houses of the Maryland General Assembly. In the House of Delegates, the Republicans control 42 seats to the Democrats' 99. In the Maryland State Senate, the Republicans control 15 seats to the Democrats' 32.

The Republican Party enjoys widespread support from Western Maryland and the Eastern Shore, both of which are mainly rural. In other areas of the state such as heavily populated Montgomery County, Prince George's County, and the City of Baltimore, Republicans are a minority.[6]

The majority of voters in the state of Maryland live in urban metropolitan areas such as Baltimore and are affiliated with the Democratic Party.[7]

Former chair of the Republican National Committee Michael Steele

In 2003, Michael Steele became the first African American elected to statewide office in the state of Maryland, when he was elected Lieutenant Governor. Prior to this, Steele served as the Chairman of the Maryland Republican Party. In 2009, Michael S. Steele was elected chair of the Republican National Committee, the first African American to hold that position.[8]

Financial status[]

The Washington Post characterized the party as "close to broke" as of January 2009, with $703.10 on hand and $57,000 in loans and bills. The Maryland Election Board also ruled in 2009 that the Maryland GOP must return $77,500 to a campaign account of Steele's for party legal expenses that he had paid.[9] In November 2011 the Baltimore Sun reported that the Maryland Republican party owed over $100,000 to vendors that stemmed from the 2010 election cycle.[10]

The picture changed after a Republican, Larry Hogan, was elected as governor in November 2014. According to the Washington Post, "Hogan raised nearly $1.4 million in the two months after the election" and the state party raised another $1 million.[11]

Current notable Maryland Republicans[]

Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. was the first Republican governor of Maryland since the 1960s, serving as governor from 2003 to 2007. He was defeated in the 2010 election by Democratic candidate Martin O'Malley. Ehrlich's wife, Kendel Ehrlich, is a notable state Republican who hosts, along with her husband, a conservative talk radio show on WBAL 1090-AM in Baltimore. Andy Harris was one of the few bright spots for Maryland Republicans in the 2010 election as he won a congressional seat back from the Democrats.

Nicholaus R. Kipke became the House Minority Leader in 2013, by unseating Anthony J. O'Donnell.

Larry Hogan is current governor, he defeated Democratic candidate Anthony G. Brown in November 2014. Boyd Rutherford was Hogan's running mate and is the current Lt. Governor of Maryland.

In 2018, Hogan won re-election as Governor against Democratic challenger, Ben Jealous. This makes him the first two-term Republican governor of Maryland since Theodore Roosevelt McKeldin.

Current Leadership[]

The current officers of the Maryland Republican Party were elected at the Fall 2020 Convention to two year terms with the exception of the National committeeman and Committeewomen who were elected at the Spring 2020 convention to four year terms.[12]

Elected Officers
Name Office Term
Dirk Haire Chairman 2016–present
David Bossie National Committeeman 2016–present
Nicolee Ambrose National Committeewoman 2012–present
Nicole Bennett 1st Vice-Chair 2020–present
Al Mendelsohn 2nd Vice-Chair 2020–present
Christopher Tomlinson 3rd Vice Chair 2020–present
Mark Uncapher Secretary 2016–present
Chris Rosenthal Treasurer 2006–present

The Maryland Republican Party also employs several staff members including an Executive Director, a Deputy Director, and a Data Director.[13]

State Party Chairmen[]

Former Maryland governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. speaking at Healthier US summit.
Name Term Notes
Joyce Lyon Tehres 1989–1998
Michael Steele 2000–2002 Resigned to become running mate of Bob Ehrlich
Louis Pope 2002
John Kane 2002–2006
Jim Pelura 2006–2009 Resigned
Audrey Scott 2009–2010 Elected in a Special Election
Alex Mooney 2010–2013 Resigned to run for Congress in West Virginia
Diana Waterman 2013–2016 Elected in a special election in 2013; elected to full term in own right in 2014
Dirk Haire 2016–present

References[]

  1. ^ Winger, Richard. "March 2021 Ballot Access News Print Edition". Ballot Access News. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  2. ^ Cox, Jeremy. "Andy Harris on Trump slam: 'It's politics'". Delmarva Now. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  3. ^ "Contact the MGOP." Maryland Republican Party. Retrieved on December 18, 2018.
  4. ^ Newport, Frank (2010-07-26). "More States "Competitive" in Terms of Party Identification". Gallup.com. Retrieved 2016-05-08.
  5. ^ "Elected Officials". Maryland Republican Party. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  6. ^ Cohn, John Fritze, Meredith. "Maryland's Eastern Shore, a GOP stronghold, home to thousands who now have insurance thanks to Obamacare". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  7. ^ Roots of Maryland Democracy, 1753-1776. Skaggs, David Curtis. Westport, Conn., Greenwood Press [1973].
  8. ^ "Michael S. Steele, Maryland Lt. Governor". msa.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  9. ^ Wagner, John (2009-07-18). "Md. GOP Weighs Ouster of Chief Amid Debt and Decrease in Rolls". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2016-05-08.
  10. ^ Linskey, Annie (2011-11-12). "Maryland Republican Party owes over $100,000 to vendors". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2016-05-08.
  11. ^ Wagner, John (2015-02-03). "To the victor go the spoils: Md. Gov. Larry Hogan (R) is raking in the cash, including from lots of Democrats". Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-05-08.
  12. ^ "Party Leadership". Maryland Republican Party. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  13. ^ "Party Staff". Maryland Republican Party. Retrieved 2021-05-07.

External links[]

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