Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. was raised in the working class suburb of Arbutus just outside Baltimore. He rose through the state legislature and the U.S. Congress to become Maryland’s first Republican Governor in 36 years when he was elected in 2002.  He is currently a Partner at the law firm Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice PLLC in Baltimore.  Having served as Governor, U.S. Congressman, state legislator, and civil litigator, he counsels clients on an array of government matters, with particular expertise in health care, finance, and economic development. 

As Governor, he is credited for improving Maryland’s fiscal condition by turning $4 billion in inherited budget deficits into $2.3 billion in surpluses.  He is an advocate for Maryland’s world-renown technology economy, enacting policies that positioned Maryland as a national leader in education, biotechnology, health care, and minority business advancement.  Prior to serving as Governor, Congressman Ehrlich won four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.  In Congress, he served as a member of the House Majority Whip team, wherein he helped pass comprehensive tax relief, greater access to health care, federal education reform, and the first balanced budget in a generation.  He also served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1986 to 1994, representing Baltimore County.  He served on the House Judiciary Committee and was instrumental in shaping state policy on tort reform, juvenile justice, and child abuse and neglect.

Prior to running for public office, Ehrlich was associated with the Baltimore law firm of Ober, Kaler, Grimes and Shriver, where he practiced civil litigation for eleven years.  He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Politics from Princeton University in 1979, where he captained the freshman and varsity football teams, and his Juris Doctorate from Wake Forest University in 1982.   Robert Ehrlich also serves on numerous boards and in 2003, he was appointed by President George W. Bush to the National Infrastructure Advisory Council.  Mr. Ehrlich lives in Annapolis, Maryland.