John C. Wobensmith

John C. Wobensmith is an American politician from Maryland. He has served as the 71st Secretary of State of Maryland – a position appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state senate – since January 21, 2015. The Secretary of State is one of the state's six constitutional officers, along with the Governor, Lt. Governor, Comptroller, Attorney General and Treasurer.

Wobensmith worked for four decades in national security under U.S. presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton; and served as the senior Defense Department representative in Turkey.

Wobensmith served on the Anne Arundel County Board of Education for nine years, and after retirement from federal civilian employment was vice president for International Marketing for Sensys Technologies in London, and worked for the American Foreign Policy Council.

Wobensmith served as the treasurer for the Hogan-Rutherford 2014 gubernatorial election campaign and was a member of Hogan's transition team.

Governor-elect Larry Hogan announced the appointment of Wobensmith as Secretary of State of Maryland on December 30, 2014. As Secretary of State, Wobensmith oversees the registration of notaries and charitable organizations and serves as the Governor's liaison for labor relations. He serves as the chair of the Governor's Subcabinet for International Affairs and is on the Board of State Canvassers.