Mike Miller, A 'Lion Of The Senate,' Dies At 78: Hogan

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Gov. Larry Hogan said Thomas V. "Mike" Miller Jr., the former president of the state Senate, died Friday. He was 78.

"Serving the people of our great state was Mike Miller’s life’s work, and he did so with unrelenting passion and courage for a remarkable 50 years," Hogan said in a press release. "Even as he waged a hard-fought battle with cancer, I was blessed to continue to benefit from Mike’s wisdom and trademark humor. He was, in every sense, a lion of the Senate."

Miller represented District 27, which includes parts of Prince George's County and southern Maryland. He was first elected in 1975, and he eventually won the presidency in 1987.

"We have all benefited from Senator Mike Miller’s leadership, influence and guidance," Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said on Twitter. "His voice and spirit will truly be missed."

The Democrat led the Senate for 33 years, which is a state and nationwide record. Miller stepped down from his leadership role in 2019 after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He continued on as a senator until December of 2020 when his health forced him to retire altogether.

"These past months have been filled with difficult losses, but the passing of longtime Senate President Mike Miller is one of the most heartbreaking," the Maryland Democratic Party said in a statement. "Miller was a titan of Maryland."

Ben Cardin, one of Maryland's U.S. senators, will miss Miller. The duo's lives have been intertwined since they both graduated from Maryland Law School. They eventually served together in the Maryland General Assembly before Cardin was elected to Congress.

"It will take time for me to process that we have really lost Mike Miller," Cardin said on Twitter. "He was a Maryland institution."

The state's other U.S. senator, Chris Van Hollen, was also close with Miller.

"Maryland lost a giant and I have lost a dear friend," Van Hollen said on Twitter. "Governors have come and gone, but Mike Miller was a historic figure and force of nature pushing Maryland forward. His legacy of results for our state is unmatched."

Hogan ordered Maryland's flags to fly at half-staff until Miller is buried.

Details on funeral services for Miller have not yet been released.

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