Meet Johnny
A lifetime on the Shore.
A lifetime on the Shore. Built his life here. Runs a family business that's been part of St. Michaels since 1979. Johnny doesn't talk like a politician because he isn't one — he's your neighbor who tells you the truth straight.
"Talking to you straight — that's all I know how to do."
— St. Sen. Johnny Mautz
I like to think my biography is short and sweet.
I attended elementary, middle and high school in St. Michaels and Easton before graduating from Brewster Academy in 1989. I received a Bachelors degree from the University of Dayton in 1994 and a Juris Doctorate degree from Ohio Northern University in 1997.
When I was a child, my parents purchased Carpenter Street Saloon in St. Michaels. Since that time, I have worked in or around the saloon in almost every capacity – truth be told I'm not a very good cook. In addition to working in the saloon, I have also worked on a variety of construction sites and commercial clamming and crabbing boats.
I am an avid outdoorsman, and have played in various sports leagues in the area, including the 1982 Easton Little League team, which made it all the way to the Little League World Series. I am a member of several local fraternal organizations, participate in youth sports, and serve on the Board of the Neighborhood Service Center.
After being admitted to the Maryland Bar, I worked as a legislative lawyer for the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and as an advisor to Gov. Ehrlich in Annapolis. In 2014 I was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates and was elected again in 2018. In Annapolis, I have served on the House Economic Matters Committee and was appointed to serve as the Ranking Member earlier this year. I also serve on the Oyster Advisory Commission, the Aquaculture Advisory Council, the Broadband Advisory Workgroup, and the Transforming Manufacturing Workgroup.
My family resides in St. Michaels, and I am extremely proud of my two wonderful children, Johnny and Evelyn.
I am the son of former Easton dentist Dr. John Mautz and community leader Diana Mautz. My brother is Dan Mautz, a volunteer firefighter and Red Cross emergency responder.
I operate my family's restaurant in St. Michaels while also representing Senate District 37 in the Maryland General Assembly.
— Johnny
Where he's from
St. Michaels. Born and stayed.
Johnny is an attorney by training and a small business owner by day — his family has operated the Carpenter Street Saloon in St. Michaels since 1979. He's never lived more than a few miles from the Bay.
St. Michaels is home. The Shore is the work.
How he serves
Eight years in the House. Three in the Senate. Same Shore, same fight.
Elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2014. Served four terms representing the Eastern Shore through eight legislative sessions. Elected to the Maryland State Senate in 2022, serving Maryland District 37 — Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot, and Wicomico Counties.
He sits on the Oyster Advisory Commission and the Aquaculture Coordinating Council — because somebody who actually pulls oysters out of the Choptank should be in the room when Annapolis writes the rules. Lions Club. Elks Lodge. The local sportsmen's groups who hunt and fish the Shore — the same ones he grew up with.
What he's done
Fighting for the Shore, every session.
Sponsored legislation to help watermen build a commercial market for invasive blue catfish (SB610) — because those catfish are eating Maryland's rockfish and pushing watermen out of business. Authored bills to update the state's oyster fishery management plan and adjust sanctuary boundaries based on what actually works. Pushed Governor Hogan for a venison-donation tax credit so Eastern Shore hunters could keep filling church pantries.
Stood with Shore small businesses against the $15 minimum wage mandate that would have forced layoffs in every diner from Federalsburg to Easton. Stood with our sheriffs and police chiefs when Annapolis tried to tie their hands on 287(g). On every vote that mattered to the Shore, the record is consistent.
Why he's running
Because Annapolis still doesn't get it.
When Governor Moore was elected, Maryland inherited a $5 billion surplus. Three years later, the state is staring at a $3 billion deficit and Annapolis keeps doubling down. Eastern Shore families are getting squeezed from every direction — and the people who write the policies don't have to live with the consequences.
"Eastern Shore families pay plenty in taxes. My job is making sure Annapolis doesn't forget about us. That's what I've done. That's what I'll keep doing."
It's the best job I'll ever have. Thank you for sending me back.
If that record sounds like the Shore you want, here's how you stay in the fight: