Governor of Maine

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. This will be raised to $125,000 upon a new governor taking office in 2026, per a bill passed in 2025, as the Maine Constitution prohibits changing the salary of the sitting governor.

WWW maine.gov/governor

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 while in office. Section 5 provides that a person shall not assume the office of Governor 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-year terms. They may be elected any number of times, but with a limit of two consecutive elected terms.. Elections are by popular vote, but if two people tie for first place, the Legislature meets in joint session to choose between them.
The Maine Constitution of 1820 originally established a gubernatorial term of one year, to begin on the first Wednesday of January; constitutional amendments expanded this to two years in 1879 and to four years in 1957. The 1957 amendment also prohibited governors from succeeding themselves after serving two terms.

Executive powers

The governor is commander-in-chief of "the army and navy of the State, and of the militia", except when under federal control. The governor generally has the power to appoint civil, military, and judicial officers, subject to confirmation by the Legislature, unless the Maine Constitution or a statute has provided another means of appointment. The governor also has the power to grant pardons, reprieves, and commutations, except in cases of impeachment. This clemency power also includes juvenile offenses.

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.

Succession

Maine is one of five states that does not have an office of lieutenant governor. Under current law, if there is a vacancy in the office of governor, the president of the Maine Senate becomes governor., the Senate president is Democrat Mattie Daughtry.

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.