A member of the Democratic Party, Franchot served for 20 years in the Maryland House of Delegates representing Takoma Park and Silver Spring.

[4] From 1987 to 2007, Franchot served in the Maryland House of Delegates, representing the 20th legislative district, which includes Takoma Park and Silver Spring.

[2] In 1988, while serving his first term in the House of Delegates, Franchot ran for Maryland's 8th congressional district against Republican incumbent Connie Morella.

[5] During the years leading up to his 2006 bid for comptroller, Franchot opposed Republican governor Bob Ehrlich's efforts to expand slot machine gambling in Maryland.

[3] Franchot ran in the Democratic primary for Comptroller of Maryland against incumbent William Donald Schaefer and Anne Arundel County Executive Janet S. Owens.

As comptroller, Franchot supported adding toll lanes on the beltway and I-270, requiring schools to open after Labor Day, and reducing restrictions on craft beer sales in Maryland.

In an interview with WYPR in July 2018, Franchot announced that he would not endorse his party's nominee for governor, Ben Jealous, and will instead remain neutral in the gubernatorial contest.

During his tenure on the Board, Franchot worked to advance initiatives that reform the state's procurement process and practices,[13] including the reduction of single-bid contracts[14] and increased participation among minority and women-owned enterprises.

[16] His public spats with County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, a fellow Democrat, over this issue has alienated Franchot from members of his own party.

[20] During the meeting, Franchot faced criticism for comparing the lack of air conditioning in schools to the Flint water crisis, saying "We were all dismissed as a bunch of malcontents.

They wrote that the sweltering conditions in these schools, predominantly in financially depressed communities, amounted to a "blatant neglect of students' civil rights".

Delegate Maggie McIntosh, chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee and floor leader for the legislation, directly cited Franchot's outspokenness about the air-conditioning issue as a reason contributing to this decision.

Franchot argued that the high social costs of increased crime, broken families and bankruptcies would outweigh any revenue gains.

[37][38] In an interview with the Washington Examiner on gambling expansion in Maryland, Franchot expressed heavy skepticism about the promise of casino revenue being used for educational purposes.

[44] Franchot opposed a bill that was unanimously passed by the General Assembly during the 2017 legislative session that imposed restrictions on the sale and distribution of craft beer products in the state.

[47][48] In response to Franchot, Delegates Ben Kramer and Warren Miller introduced legislation forming a task force to study which agency is best suited to regulate the alcohol industry in Maryland.

[53] On May 8, 2019, the Prince George's County Council voted unanimously for a proposal requiring Governor Larry Hogan to undertake further environmental reviews before proceeding with his plan to expand Interstate 270 and the Capital Beltway.

[61] Franchot received endorsements from over 100 current and former officeholders, including former representative Wayne Gilchrist and former lieutenant governor Melvin Steinberg.

[74] Former Republican governor of Maryland Bob Ehrlich takes note of this shift in his book Turn This Car Around, writing: "Business groups large and small joined in a historic campaign to repeal the new tax.

Surprisingly, newly elected State Comptroller Peter Franchot, one of the legislature's most progressive votes during a twenty-year career in the Maryland House of Delegates, joined the pro-business, anti-tax chorus.

[82][83][84] He later backed down from this stance, voting for a foster care contract with Seraaj Family Homes, an Alabama-based child placement services company, in June 2019.

[85] Following the leak of a draft majority opinion for the Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Franchot signaled support for codifying reproductive rights into the Constitution of Maryland.

[97][98] In August 2016, Franchot joined Governor Larry Hogan at a press conference where he signed an executive order requiring all public schools to begin classes after Labor Day.

He opposes the Blueprint for Maryland's Future,[103] saying that he would rather shift the state's school curriculum to include teacher buy-ins and lessons that offer students "skill and knowledge about the modern economy".

[107] During the campaign, Franchot pledged to make Maryland the first net zero state for carbon emissions by 2030, protecting and cleaning the Chesapeake Bay, and building a statewide transit system.

[111][112] Franchot expressed concern over a proposal from Governor Martin O'Malley to increase the state's minimum wage to $10.10 an hour by 2017, saying that legislators should consider its potential negative impacts on small business owners.

[119] Franchot supports using a bipartisan commission consisting of an equal amount of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to draw the state's congressional and legislative districts.

[132] Legislative leaders rejected Franchot's request, saying that the gas tax hike pause would "not result in Marylanders seeking a price reduction at the pump" and would cost the state over $200 million in transportation funding.