Francis Thomas was an American politician who served as the 26th Governor of Maryland from 1842 to 1845. He also served as a United States Representative from Maryland, representing at separate times the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh districts. He also served as United States minister to Peru from 1872 to 1875, and speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates in 1829.

Maryland's 4th congressional district wraps around the eastern edge of Washington, D.C., taking in most of Prince George's County and a small portion of Montgomery County. It is home to several racially diverse middle-class suburbs, including College Park, Fort Washington, Greenbelt, and Laurel. With a median household income of $80,808, it is the wealthiest black-majority district in the United States.