Maryland Senate President Mike Miller Announces His Retirement Amidst Health Issues

The President of the Maryland Senate, Thomas V. Mike Miller, announced in a private meeting with Democratic senators that he will retire from his position at the beginning of the next session of the Maryland General Assembly in January 2020. 

Miller, 76, is currently battling metastatic prostate cancer, but will continue to serve as the senator for some of Prince George’s, Charles, and Calvert counties. He has held the position of Senate president since 1987. After 32 years, Miller was quoted saying it was too difficult to meet the demands of being Senate president with his current medical condition. Nonetheless, he will return to his senator position despite his health. 

Baltimore Senator Bill Ferguson, 36, was chosen unanimously by Senate Democrats to succeed Senator Miller. It is reported that several other senators questioned their own run for president of the senate earlier this year. However, in the closed-door meeting with Miller and other Democrats, Ferguson was the only senator to step forward as successor. 

After Miller steps down as President, he will remain and serve in the Senate for three more years as part of his term. 

Miller told reporters he would be focusing more on his district, spending time with his constituents, as well as fighting to increase education spending across the state. He said he will also be working to maintain the Preakness Stakes horse race in Baltimore. 

It has been suspected for several months that Miller would step down from his position as President, as he went through chemotherapy during the 2019 General Assembly session. His health problems have been reported as causing him severe back pain and trouble with mobility. He has been using a cane to walk around. At a memorial service for Representative Elijah Cummings on Wednesday, instead of ascending the stage to speak, he chose to stand near his seat as he said his piece on his former colleague.

Democrats will only nominate Bill Ferguson for the presidential position, and highly outnumber Republicans in the Senate at 32 Democrats to 15 Republicans. It is likely that Republicans will not make any recommendations to the positions or objections to Ferguson’s ascension to it. 

Mike Miller was the president of the Maryland Senate for all major votes since 1986, including legalizing same-sex marriage and gambling, passing strict gun laws and ending the death penalty. Miller says he has no preference as to which committee he wants to serve on, but he served on the Judicial Proceedings Committee before taking his position as President.

Ferguson, Miller’s presidential successor, is the youngest member on the Senate. Dubbed “Baby Senator” by other members on the Senate, in just a few short months, Ferguson is set to run the entire legislative body. He is expected to keep up with Miller’s positive relationship with Governor Hogan, as well as the 15 Republicans on the Senate. He will lead the Senate through important votes on expanding education funding. He will take office in January 2020.