Anthony G . Brown Anthony Gregory Brown ( born November 21 , 1961 ) is a Democratic Party politician from the State of Maryland ; he is the eighth and current Lieutenant Governor of Maryland and is currently running for Governor of Maryland . Brown was elected as Lieutenant Governor in 2006 on a ticket with Governor Martin O ' Malley . Both were reelected in 2010 . Brown previously served two terms in the Maryland House of Delegates , representing Prince George ' s County . Brown is currently a Colonel in the United States Army Reserve , having served in the U . S . Army for nearly thirty years . Brown is one of the two highest - ranking elected officials in the nation to have served a tour of duty in Iraq . Early life , education , military career , & legal career . Brown was born in 1961 in Huntington , New York to immigrant parents . His father Roy H . Brown , a physician , came to the United States from Kingston , Jamaica to attend Fordham University . Roy received his medical degree in Zurich , Switzerland , where he met his future wife , Lilly I . Brown . The couple raised Anthony , his sister and three brothers in New York . Anthony attended public school on Long Island , graduating from Huntington High School ( New York ) | Huntington High School in 1979 . In his senior year , Brown became the first African American ever elected president of Huntington High School . After high school , Brown spent the summer at the United States Military Academy at West Point before switching to Harvard College , where he majored in Government and resided in Quincy House . At Harvard , Brown served on the Student Advisory Committee at the Kennedy School of Government ' s Institute of Politics . Since Harvard did not offer ROTC at the time , in his second year , Brown enrolled in the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program at MIT and earned a two - year scholarship . In 1984 , Brown graduated with an A . B . " cum laude " , and as a Distinguished Military Graduate . Military career . Upon graduation , Brown received a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U . S . Army . He graduated first in his flight class at Fort Rucker , Alabama . During his time on active duty , Brown served as a helicopter pilot with the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade , 3rd Infantry Division in Europe . During that period of active duty , Brown held positions as platoon leader for a target acquisition , reconnaissance and surveillance platoon , executive officer of a general support aviation company , a battalion logistics officer , and the flight operations officer for Task Force 23 . After completing his active duty service , Brown continued his military service as a Judge Advocate General ( JAG ) in the United States Army Reserve . His assignments included Commander of the 153rd Legal Support Organization in Norristown , Pennsylvania , where , in addition to supporting deploying service members and their families with legal services , he mobilized eighteen soldiers to Fort Hood , Texas in support of the III Corps ' Operation New Dawn mission to Iraq . Prior to his tenure with the 153rd LSO , Brown was the Staff Judge Advocate for the 353rd Civil Affairs Command headquartered at Fort Wadsworth , New York . Brown began his service as a JAG with the 10th LSO in Upper Marlboro , Maryland , where he held numerous assignments , including in the areas of international law and claims law . Currently , Brown is a Colonel in the U . S . Army Reserve . In 2004 , Brown , a member of the Maryland House of Delegates , was deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom . Brown served in Baghdad , Fallujah , Kirkuk , and Basra with the 353rd Civil Affairs Command as Senior Consultant to the Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration . Brown received the Bronze Star for his distinguished service in Iraq . Awards , ribbons , and badges . Brown ' s personal awards include : Sources Law school & legal career . After serving five years on active duty , Brown returned to the United States to attend Harvard Law School in the fall of 1989 . He attended Harvard Law School at the same time as other notable African Americans , including future - President Barack Obama , Artur Davis and actor Hill Harper . At Harvard Law , Brown was a member of the Board of Student Advisers . Brown ' s third - year paper , written under the supervision of Professor Charles Ogletree , analyzed the scope of the Fourth Amendment ' s protections against unreasonable search and seizure in the military . Brown was Chair of the Membership Committee of the Black Law Students Association and a member of the Board of Student Advisers . Brown graduated from Harvard Law , with a Juris Doctor in 1992 . After graduating from law school , Brown completed a two - year clerkship for Chief Judge Eugene Sullivan of the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces . In 1994 , he joined the Washington , D . C . office of the international law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering ( now WilmerHale ) . Brown practiced law with the late John Payton , a renowned civil rights attorney and former president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund , and Stephen Sachs who was the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland from 1967 to 1970 and was the 40th Attorney General of Maryland . In 1998 , Brown received Wilmer ' s Pro Bono Publico Award for his work in representing indigent clients . Brown joined the Prince George ’ s County land use and zoning law firm Gibbs & Haller in 2000 , after having been elected to the Maryland General Assembly . Political career . Maryland House of Delegates . Brown ' s political career began in 1998 , when he was elected to serve in the Maryland House of Delegates , representing District 25 in Prince George ’ s County . Brown ran on a ticket with Senator Ulysses Currie , Delegate Dereck Davis , and Delegate Melony Griffith . He served two terms in the Maryland House of Delegates and rose to several positions of leadership . During his first term , Brown served on the House Economic Matters Committee . He was appointed Vice Chair of the Judiciary Committee in 2003 . In 2004 , Speaker of the House Michael E . Busch appointed Brown to the position of Majority Whip , the fourth - ranking position in the House . Lieutenant Governor . In 2006 , Brown was elected Lieutenant Governor on a ticket with Martin O ’ Malley , the former Mayor of Baltimore . The pair were the only challenging candidates to defeat an incumbent gubernatorial ticket in the 2006 election cycle . On January 17 , 2007 , Brown was sworn in as Maryland ' s 8th lieutenant governor . Both Brown and O ' Malley were reelected by a 56 % to 42 % margin on November 2 , 2010 . Brown was the first person ever elected Lieutenant Governor directly from the Maryland House of Delegates . Governor O ’ Malley has tasked Brown to lead the O ' Malley - Brown Administration ' s efforts on several policy fronts , including efforts to expand and improve health care , support economic development , help victims of domestic violence , increase access to higher education , and provide Veterans with better services and resources . In July 2010 , Brown was elected chair of the National Lieutenant Governors Association , a position he served in for a term of one year . Health Care . As Co - Chair of the Maryland Health Care Reform Coordinating Council and Maryland ’ s Health Quality and Cost Council , Lt . Governor Brown leads the O ’ Malley - Brown Administration ’ s efforts to reduce costs , expand access , and improve the quality of care for all Marylanders . In June 2012 , Brown was named " Maryland ’ s Public Health Hero " by the Maryland Health Care for All ! Coalition . He has assisted in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act , which according to a non - partisan 2012 study , will save Maryland $ 672 million by 2020 . In both 2011 and 2012 , Brown led legislation through the Maryland General Assembly to create a health insurance exchange . Brown has led efforts to address health disparities among racial and ethnic groups in Maryland . In 2012 , he developed created Health Enterprise Zones , which will use incentives to increase the number of primary care providers and other essential health care services in underserved communities , with the goal of reducing preventable diseases such as asthma and diabetes . Economic Development . Brown leads the O ’ Malley - Brown Administration ’ s economic development portfolio . He serves as Chair of numerous economic development initiatives , including the Joint Legislative and Executive Commission on Oversight of Public - Private Partnerships , the Governor ’ s Subcabinet on Base Realignment and Closure , and the FastTrack initiative – part of Maryland Made Easy ( www . easy . maryland . gov ) – to streamline the state permitting process for businesses and developers . Public - Private Partnerships . Brown has become one the leading champions for the increased use of Public - Private Partnerships to advance infrastructure projects in Maryland . Governor Martin O ’ Malley appointed Brown to serve as Chair of the Joint Legislative and Executive Commission on Oversight of Public - Private Partnerships . The fifteen member Commission was established in 2010 under House Bill 1370 to evaluate the State ’ s framework and oversight of public – private partnership s . Under Brown ’ s leadership , the Commission worked to fulfill its responsibilities and increase the potential for private investment in public infrastructure projects . The commission submitted its final report to the Governor and General Assembly in January 2012 , which included assessing the oversight , best practices , and approval processes for public - private partnerships in other states ; evaluating the definition of public - private partnerships ; making recommendations concerning the appropriate manner of conducting legislative monitoring and oversight of public - private partnerships ; and making recommendations concerning broad policy parameters within which public - private partnerships should be negotiated . Base realignment and closure . Brown has been tasked by Governor O ’ Malley to lead the Base Realignment and Closure Subcabinet and the implementation of Maryland ’ s BRAC Plan , which ensured the State of Maryland would be ready for the 28 , 000 households that came to the state as a result of the BRAC process . It ’ s estimated that between and 45 , 000 to 60 , 000 jobs will be created in Maryland by 2016 due to BRAC . Since 2007 , the BRAC Subcabinet has met regularly with BRAC stakeholders to coordinate and sychronize the State ’ s efforts with public and private partners to address BRAC needs . The BRAC Plan sets forth new initiatives and priorities to address the human capital and physical infrastructure requirements to support BRAC , as well as to seize the opportunities that BRAC presents , while preserving the quality of life already enjoyed by Marylanders . Several of the larger moves include the Army ’ s Communications – Electronics Command ( CECOM ) to Aberdeen Proving Ground from Ft . Monmouth , New Jersey , and the Air National Guard Readiness Center at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility Washington . The Defense Information Systems Agency is locating to Fort George G . Meade from northern Virginia and Walter Reed Army Medical Center is moving to the Bethesda Naval Hospital to create the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at Bethesda . In 2011 , the Association of Defense Communities recognized Brown as their Public Official of the Year for his leadership on BRAC . Domestic Violence . Eliminating domestic violence is a personal cause for Brown . In August 2008 , his cousin Cathy was murdered by her estranged boyfriend . Building on his experience as a legislator and the perspective this tragedy provided him , Brown has championed reforms to fight domestic violence and provide improved support to victims . In 2009 , Brown led efforts to improve domestic violence laws and take guns out of the hands of domestic abusers by allowing judges to order the abuser in a temporary protective order to surrender any firearms in his or her possession . During the 2010 Legislative Session , Brown worked with the General Assembly to pass legislation allowing a victim of domestic abuse to terminate a residential lease with a copy of a final protective order . During the 2012 Legislative Session , Brown led the O ' Malley Brown Administration ' s successful efforts to extend unemployment benefits to a victim of domestic violence who decides to leave employment because the abuser is a threat at the workplace . Brown believes that a victim of domestic violence should not be required to choose between financial security and physical safety . Brown also leads efforts to expand the availability of hospital - based Domestic Violence Screening Programs at Maryland hospitals to help identify victims of domestic violence and connect them to support services . In 2010 , he helped launch Maryland ’ s fifth hospital - based domestic violence program at Prince George ’ s Hospital Center in Cheverly . In 2011 , Brown helped launch a sixth hospital - based program at Meritus Medical Center in Hagerstown , Maryland . Similar programs are also in place in the Baltimore region at Anne Arundel Medical Center , Mercy Medical Center , Sinai Hospital and Northwest Hospital . Education . Under the O ’ Malley Brown Administration , Maryland ’ s students have made dramatic improvements in nearly every statistical category , and Maryland ’ s schools have been ranked # 1 in the country for 4 years in a row . Brown leads the O ’ Malley - Brown Administration ’ s efforts to increase higher education opportunities . The administration has taken steps to make a higher education more accessible and affordable for all Marylanders , including making record investments in community colleges and working to keep an education affordable at four year public colleges and universities . As a result , the number of STEM college graduates , number of Associate ’ s degrees , and the number of Bachelor ’ s degrees awarded in Maryland have all increased since the Governor and Lt . Governor took office in 2007 . In 2010 , Lt . Governor Brown launched the Skills2Compete initiative , which promotes programs and activities that lead to increasing the skill level of Marylanders though the attainment of a post - secondary credential , apprenticeship program or degree . Veterans affairs . Brown is the nation ’ s highest - ranking elected official to have served a tour of military duty in Iraq and he leads the O ' Malley - Brown Administration ' s work to improve benefits and services for Maryland ' s veterans . In 2012 , Brown announced the launch of Maryland Homefront : the Veterans and Military Family Mortgage Program , which helps qualified current and former military members find homes by giving them a discounted mortgage interest rate and help with closing costs . Also in 2012 , Brown helped pass legislation that allows notation of ‘ veteran ’ status on drivers ’ licenses and identification card . During the 2008 session of the Maryland General Assembly , Brown led the administration ’ s successful efforts to pass a sweeping veterans package , including passage of the Veterans Behavioral Health Act of 2008 . The legislation sets aside $ 2 . 3 million for the expansion of direct services to OIF / OEF veterans living with behavioral and mental health problem . The legislation also named Brown chair of the Maryland Veterans Behavioral Health Advisory Board . Other legislation passed as part of the ‘ Maryland ’ s Commitment to Veterans ’ package includes : 2008 election and Obama transition . Despite being a classmate of Barack Obama , in September 2007 , Brown initially endorsed Hillary Clinton for President in the 2008 election . He campaigned for her in several states , including South Carolina and Georgia . In June 2008 , Brown subsequently endorsed Obama . In July 2008 , Brown was appointed to the Democratic National Committee ’ s Platform Committee and served on the Platform Drafting Committee . Brown led the efforts to strengthen the Democratic Party ’ s commitment to veterans and ensuring that the Chesapeake Bay be named as a “ national treasure . ” Brown was a ‘ Party Leader / Elected Official ’ delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver , Colorado in late August 2008 and cast his vote for then - Senator Barack Obama , along with 98 members of the Maryland delegation . Brown was named Co - Chair of the Obama / Biden Presidential Transition Agency Review Team for the Department of Veterans Affairs on November 14 , 2008 . 2014 gubernatorial candidacy . Anthony Brown announced his candidacy for Governor of Maryland in the 2014 election on May 10 , 2013 at Prince George ' s County Community College . Brown has been endorsed by Governor Martin O ' Malley , Senator Barbara Mikulski , Congressman Steny Hoyer , Maryland Senate President Thomas V . Miller , Jr . , and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings - Blake . Brown is taking on Attorney General Doug Gansler and Delegate Heather Mizeur in the Democratic primary . On June 3 , 2013 , Brown announced that Ken Ulman , county executive of Howard County , Maryland , would be his running mate . Personal life . Brown is the father of Rebecca and Jonathan , with former wife Patricia Arzuaga , to whom he was married from 1993 to their divorce in 2009 . Jonathan was adopted . Brown married Karmen Walker , the widow of Prince George ' s County police officer Anthony Michael " Tony " Walker , on May 27 , 2012 , and is also the stepfather of Walker ' s son Anthony . Walker is a director of government relations with Comcast .