Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina
| South Carolina Lieutenant Governor | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| 2012-2013 FY Budget: | $39,250,109 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | South Carolina Constitution, Article IV, Section VIII |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
 | |
| Name: | Glenn McConnell |
| Officeholder Party: | Republican |
| Assumed office: | March 13, 2012 |
| Compensation: | $46,545 |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 4, 2014 |
| Last election: | November 2, 2010 |
| Other South Carolina Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Comptroller • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Adjutant General • Inspector General • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission | |
Contents |
Current officer
- See also: Current Lieutenant Governors
The current lieutenant governor is Glenn McConnell. He assumed office on March 9, 2012 by virtue of his role as Pro Tem of the South Carolina Senate. He succeeded James Ken Ard (R) in office, who resigned amid a criminal investigation into his campaign spending.[1]
Authority
The state Constitution addresses the office of the governor in Article IV, the Executive Department.
Under Article IV, Section VIII:
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A Lieutenant Governor shall be chosen at the same time, in the same manner, continue in office for the same period, and be possessed of the same qualifications as the Governor. |
Qualifications
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| Current Governors |
| Gubernatorial Elections |
| 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 Lists of candidates |
| Current Lt. Governors |
| Lt. Governor Elections |
| 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 |
| Breaking news |
A candidate for the lieutenant governor must be:
- at least 30 years old
- a citizen of the United States
- a resident of South Carolina for at least five years
- a believer in the existence of the "Supreme Being"
Additionally, the Lieutenant Governor may not hold office or a commission under any other power, excepting that of a militia.
Elections
- See also: Gubernatorial election cycles by state
- See also: Election of lieutenant governors
South Carolina elects lieutenant governors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not Presidential election years. For South Carolina, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 are all lieutenant gubernatorial election years. Legally, the lieutenant gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the first Wednesday following the second Tuesday in the January following an election. Thus, January 12, 2011 and January 14, 2015 are inaugural days.
If there is a tie, a joint session of the legislature shall cast ballots to choose the lieutenant governor from the two highest vote getters.
Vacancies
Under Article IV, Sections VI and XI, the Lieutenant Governor replaces the Governor almost any time the latter is unable to discharge the office:
Section VI:
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If the Governor-elect dies or declines to serve, the Lieutenant Governor-elect shall become Governor for a full term. If the Governor-elect fails to take the oath of office at the commencement of his term, the Lieutenant Governor shall act as Governor until the oath is administered. |
Section XI:
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In the case of the removal of the Governor from office by impeachment, death, resignation, disqualification, disability, or removal from the State, the Lieutenant Governor shall be Governor. In case the Governor be impeached, the Lieutenant Governor shall act in his stead and have his powers until judgment in the case shall have been pronounced. In the case of the temporary disability of the Governor and in the event of the temporary absence of the Governor from the State, the Lieutenant Governor shall have full authority to act in an emergency. |
If the Lieutenant Governor is also unable to serve the legally set-up line of succession is employed and the full powers of the Governor devolve upon whoever takes the office.
Additionally, each South Carolina State Senate elects a Senate President Pro Tem each times it convenes, an officer who fills in for the Lieutenant Governor's Senatorial duties as needed.
Duties
The South Carolina Lieutenant Governor is South Carolina's second highest Constitutional Officer. Under the State Constitution, the lieutenant governor serves as the president of the Senate and assumes the position of governor if for any reason the governor is unable to perform the duties of that office.
As president of the Senate, the lieutenant governor is the presiding officer and is often called upon to make significant rulings which affect the outcome of senate votes and debates. Legally, the Lieutenant Governor only has a vote in the Senate when the chamber's members are evenly divided.
State budget
The budget for the Lieutenant Governor's office in Fiscal Year 2012-2013 was $39,250,109.[2]
Compensation
The lieutenant governor's pay is set by law and may not be increased or diminished effective during the current term.
As of 2010, the lieutenant governor is paid $100,000 a year, the 19th highest lieutenant gubernatorial salary in America.
Contact information
State House, 1st Floor
P.O. Box 142
Columbia, South Carolina 29202
Phone:803-734-2080
Fax:803-734-2082
E-mail: ltgov@scsenate.org
See also
- South Carolina Lieutenant Governor James Ken Ard
- Governor of South Carolina
- South Carolina Attorney General
- South Carolina Secretary of State
External links
- Office of the South Carolina Lieutenant Governor
- About the office of the South Carolina Lieutenant Governor
References
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