Governor of Maine

Governor of Maine
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Post	Governor of Maine
Incumbent	Janet Mills
Incumbentsince	January 2, 2019
Style	The Honorable
Seat	Augusta, Maine
Appointer	Popular election
Termlength	Four years, renewable once consecutively
Formation	March 15, 1820
First	William King

Governor of Maine

The Governor of Maine is the chief executive of the State of Maine, responsible for administering state agencies, implementing laws, and representing Maine in interstate and federal affairs. The office interacts with entities such as the Maine Legislature, Maine Supreme Judicial Court, United States Congress, and regional bodies like the New England Governors Conference, while engaging with figures from Maine history including William King, Margaret Chase Smith, and Joshua Chamberlain.

Office overview

The office is established by the Maine Constitution and functions alongside the Maine Senate, Maine House of Representatives, Maine Secretary of State, and Maine Attorney General. The governor resides in Augusta, Maine and works within the Maine State House complex with the Maine State Police and the Maine Office of Policy and Management. The governor liaises with federal entities such as the United States Department of the Interior, United States Department of Agriculture, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency on issues affecting Penobscot Bay, Acadia National Park, and the Kennebec River. The role has been held by notable figures including John Langdon, Eben F. Stone, Percival Baxter, and Janet Mills.

Powers and duties

The governor exercises executive authority under provisions paralleling other state executives like the Governor of Massachusetts and the Governor of New Hampshire. Statutory powers include appointment of commissioners to agencies such as the Maine Department of Education, Maine Department of Transportation, and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, nomination of judicial candidates to the Maine Judicial Branch, and preparation of the annual budget submitted to the Maine Legislature. The governor can veto legislation passed by the Maine Senate and Maine House of Representatives, issue executive orders affecting agencies like the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and convene special sessions similar to practices in Rhode Island and Vermont. In emergencies the governor may coordinate with the National Guard (United States), the Department of Homeland Security, and the Environmental Protection Agency on matters involving Coastal Maine, fisheries near Georges Bank, and infrastructure in Portland, Maine.

Election and term

Governors are elected by popular vote under rules akin to those used in Massachusetts and Connecticut, appearing on ballots administered by the Maine Secretary of State and overseen by county registrars in Cumberland County, Maine and York County, Maine. The office carries a four-year term with a two-consecutive-term limit, paralleling limits in Vermont and New Hampshire. Elections coincide with federal midterm cycles; winners work with delegations to the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate including representatives from districts such as Maine's 1st congressional district and Maine's 2nd congressional district. Campaigns involve parties like the Democratic Party (United States), Republican Party (United States), and independent movements similar to those of Angus King.

Succession and impeachment

Succession follows a line similar to other states: the Maine Constitution specifies that the President of the Maine Senate or the Maine Secretary of State may assume duties if the governor is unable to serve, resembling succession provisions in New Hampshire and Vermont. Impeachment procedures derive from constitutional clauses comparable to those used in Massachusetts and involve the Maine House of Representatives bringing charges and the Maine Senate conducting trials. Historical instances have engaged figures like Baxter or federal inquiries involving coordination with United States Attorneys and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in rare contested matters.

History

Maine separated from Massachusetts Bay Colony roots to become a state in 1820 under the Missouri Compromise. The inaugural governor, William King, set precedents followed by governors such as John Fairfield, Jabez Young Jackson, Eboli? and Civil War–era leaders including Joshua Chamberlain. Twentieth-century governors included reformers and patrons like Percival Baxter and Carl E. Milliken, while twentieth- and twenty-first-century figures comprise Edwin C. Burleigh, Joseph E. Brennan, John R. McKernan Jr., Angus King, Paul LePage, and Janet Mills. The office has evolved through interactions with national events such as the American Civil War, the Great Depression, World War II, and federal legislation including the Social Security Act and environmental statutes affecting Acadia National Park and the Gulf of Maine.

List of governors

A chronological list includes early leaders like William King and John Fairfield, Civil War figures such as Israel Washburn Jr. and Joshua Chamberlain, Progressive Era names like Carl E. Milliken and Percival Baxter, mid-century governors including Horace Hildreth and Edwin C. Burleigh, late twentieth-century leaders like Joseph E. Brennan and John R. McKernan Jr., and modern governors Angus King, Paul LePage, and Janet Mills. The roster intersects with national politicians such as Margaret Chase Smith and regional actors from Portland, Maine and Bangor, Maine.

Residence and administration

The governor's official residence and offices are in Augusta, Maine at the Governor's Mansion (Maine) and the nearby Maine State House, with staff drawn from entities like the Maine Executive Department, Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services, and the Maine State Police. The administration coordinates with municipal governments in Portland, Maine, Lewiston, Maine, and Bangor, Maine, regional planning agencies such as the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments, and federal partners including the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Department of Transportation to manage projects on routes like Interstate 95 in Maine and ports on Casco Bay.

Category:1820 establishments in Maine Category:State constitutional officers of Maine