Governor of Maine

Governor of Maine
Governor of Maine
	Seal of the governor
	Incumbent; Janet Mills; since January 2, 2019
	Government of Maine
Style	The Honorable
Status	Head of state; Head of government
Residence	The Blaine House
Seat	Augusta, Maine
Appointer	Popular vote
Term length	4 years, renewable once consecutively
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Maine
Precursor	Governor of Massachusetts (District of Maine)
Inaugural holder	William King
Formation	March 15, 1820
Salary	$70,000
Website	Official website

The governor of Maine is the head of government of the U.S. state of Maine. Before Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820, Maine was part of Massachusetts and the governor of Massachusetts was chief executive.

The current governor of Maine is Janet Mills, a Democrat, who took office January 2, 2019.

The governor of Maine receives a salary of $70,000, which is the lowest salary out of all 50 state governors, as of 2022.^[2]

Eligibility

Under Article V, Section 4, a person must as of the commencement of the term in office, be 30 years old, for 15 years a citizen of the United States, and for five years a resident of Maine. A governor must retain residency in Maine throughout his or her term. Section 5 provides that a person shall not assume the office of Governor^[3] while holding any other office under the United States, Maine, or "any other power".

Elections and terms of office

Governors are elected directly for four-years terms, with a limit of two consecutive elected terms. Thus, a governor can serve an unlimited number of terms, as long as they serve no more than two in a row (Article V, Section 2).^[3] Elections are by popular vote, but if two people tie for first place, the Legislature meets in joint session to choose between them (Article V, Section 3).^[3]

Executive powers

The governor is commander-in-chief of "the army and navy of the State, and of the militia" (the Maine National Guard), except when under federal control (Article V, Section 7).^[3] The governor generally has the power to appoint civil, military, and judicial officers (aside from probate judges and justices of the peace), subject to confirmation by the Legislature, unless the Maine Constitution or a statute has provided another means of appointment (Article V, Section 8).^[3] The governor also has the power to grant pardons, reprieves, and commutations, except in cases of impeachment. This clemency power also includes juvenile offenses (Article V, Section 11).^[3]

Cabinet

The Governor oversees the executive branch, which includes Maine's state agencies. Their cabinet is often considered to be the state's commissioners, which are generally nominated by the governor but legally chosen by the Maine Legislature.

Current Cabinet

As of January 2019, the cabinet is as follows:^[4]

The Mills Cabinet
Office	Name	Since

Governor	Janet Mills	2019

Commissioner of the Department of Administrative & Financial Services	Kirsten Figueroa^[5]	2019
Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry	Amanda Beal^[6]	2019
Commissioner of the Department of Corrections	Randall Liberty^[7]	2019
Commissioner of the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management	Douglas Farnham^[8]	2016
Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development	Heather Johnson^[9]	2019
Commissioner of the Department of Education	Pender Makin^[10]	2019
Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection	Melanie Loyzim^[11]	2021
Commissioner of the Department of Health & Human Services	Jeanne Lambrew^[12]	2019
Commissioner of the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife	Judy Camuso^[13]	2019
Commissioner of the Department of Marine Resources	Patrick C. Keliher^[8]	2012
Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety	Michael Sauschuck^[7]	2019
Commissioner of the Department of Transportation	Bruce Van Note^[14]	2019
Commissioner of the Department of Labor	Laura Fortman^[15]	2019
Commissioner of the Department of Professional & Financial Regulation	Anne Head^[8]^[16]	2008
Executive Director of Workers' Compensation Board	John Rohde^[17]	2019

Succession

Maine is one of five states that does not have an office of lieutenant governor.^[18] Under current law, if there is a vacancy in the office of governor, the president of the Maine Senate becomes governor. As of December 5, 2018^[update], the Senate president is Democrat Troy Jackson.^[19]

Official residence

The Blaine House in Augusta is the official governor's mansion, and is located across the street from the Maine State House. It became the official residence in 1919, and is named for James G. Blaine, who once owned the mansion. The house was built by Captain James Hall in 1833 and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964.^[20]