9 3 4 , ▁T aw es ▁purs ued ▁state ▁office . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁Com pt roller ▁of ▁Maryland , ▁defe ating ▁Republican ▁rival ▁William ▁G . ▁Jack ▁by ▁ 1 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁votes . ▁ ▁Under ▁T aw es , ▁the ▁state ▁budget ▁of ▁Maryland ▁nearly ▁quad ru ple d ▁in ▁just ▁six ▁years . ▁He ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁as ▁Com pt roller ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁T aw es ▁ran ▁for ▁governor ▁of ▁Maryland ▁but ▁lost ▁to ▁William ▁Pr eston ▁Lane , ▁Jr . ▁in ▁the ▁Democratic ▁primary . ▁T aw es ▁initially ▁retired , ▁but ▁was ▁appointed ▁by ▁Governor ▁Lane ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁State ▁Bank ing ▁Commission er ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 . ▁T aw es ▁held ▁that ▁position ▁until ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁Com pt roller ▁to ▁fill ▁the ▁vac ancy ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁res ignation ▁of ▁James ▁J . ▁L acy . ▁He ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁to ▁the ▁office ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 5 4 . ▁ ▁Governor ▁of ▁Maryland ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁pol ling ▁among ▁Maryland ers ▁showed ▁that ▁T aw es ▁was ▁quite ▁popular . ▁This ▁led ▁T aw es ▁to ▁announ ce , ▁for ▁the ▁second ▁time , ▁his ▁candid acy ▁for ▁governor . ▁He ▁faced ▁minor ▁opposition ▁in