The world of Maryland Politics was rocked by the announcement that former State Senate President Mike Miller would be resigning from the Senate today.
Click the link to read Miller’s resignation and click here to watch his press availability.
It isn’t shocking that it happened; Senator Miller is resigning for health reasons related to his cancer diagnosis. But almost nobody has lived in a world without Senator Miller’s presence.
Mike Miller entered the Senate in 1975. He has been in the General Assembly since 1971. He is capping off 50 years of service in Annapolis. It is almost mind-boggling to think that somebody, anybody could serve that long.
For 33 of those years, he was the President of the State Senate. No legislator anywhere has ever served as a chamber leader as long Miller.
In the past fifty years, there has been no legislation, no change to state government that has not involved Senator Miller at some level. At some level, Miller was an even bigger Giant of the Senate than Lyndon Johnson was.
Mike Miller is an old school politician. That comes with all of the plus and minuses of being an old school politician. He knew his fellow legislators and what made them tick. He provided an opportunity for the minority party to be heard. But he also knew where the bodies were buried, where his caucus was going, and how to get stuff done in the General Assembly. Miller achieved many things thought to be “impossible” politically. He was perhaps the most pragmatic legislator ever seen.
He is also the last of the breed of "conservative” Democrats in the State Senate. I would argue that Miller is further to the right than any of his now-former Senate colleagues. That says more about the radicalization of the Democratic Senate Caucus than it does anything else.
No to say he didn't have his moments. Like this comment, which probably cost Miller a realistic shot to become Governor.
But what has always been most striking to me is his enormous knowledge and respect of not only the State Senate but of Maryland history in general. Surely, a lot of that had to do with serving for 13 percent of Maryland’s total existence. But as a native Maryland, somebody who grew up in Maryland’s political institutions, somebody who went to Maryland schools, and somebody with that deep respect of norms and history, he brought a certain level of gravitas to the body. Regardless of his politics, he respected the institution and the history of our state. That respect of the institution and of history is often non-existent in the legislators of today; of either party.
Obviously, I had many, many political and philosophical differences with Senator Miller. After all, he once literally demonized me on the floor of the State Senate. But despite those differences, the Senate and the state will be worse off without him in the chamber.
There will never be another like him. May God Bless him and his family.