The 1966 Maryland gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1966. Incumbent
Democratic Governor
J. Millard Tawes was unable to seek a third term in office. In the election to succeed him,
George P. Mahoney, a controversial segregationist, emerged from the
Democratic primary due to splintered support for the two major candidates.
Baltimore County Executive
Spiro Agnew, was nominated by the
Republican Party as their gubernatorial candidate. Mahoney and Agnew squared off, along with independent candidate
Hyman A. Pressman. Ultimately, Agnew was victorious over Mahoney, with Pressman a distant third. This year was the last time that the state of
Maryland elected a
Republican governor until
2002. Agnew was later nominated for Vice President by the
Republican National Convention, per
Richard Nixon's request, in
1968, an election he and Nixon won.
Baltimore paving contractor and perennial candidate
George P. Mahoney won the
Democratic primary on a segregationist platform, which was possible due to the presence of several strong candidates. Mahoney's slogan, "Your home is your castle--protect it",[3] as well as his stance on many civil rights issues,[4] prompted
Baltimore City Comptroller
Hyman A. Pressman to enter the race as an independent candidate. Mahoney's controversial stances caused many in the
Maryland Democratic Party to split their support between Agnew, which was possible due to his socially progressive views, and Pressman, which enabled Agnew to win the election with a plurality, taking 70% of the black vote.[5]