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Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
| Kentucky Lieutenant Governor | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $139,725 |
| Term limits: | 2 consecutive terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Kentucky Constitution, Article 6, The Executive Department |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
Jacqueline Coleman | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 2, 2027 |
| Last election: | November 7, 2023 |
| Other Kentucky Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Commissioner of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Cabinet Secretary • Public Service Commission | |
The Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky is an elected constitutional officer, the second ranking officer of the executive branch and the first officer in line to succeed the Governor of Kentucky. The lieutenant governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two consecutive terms.
Current officeholder
- See also: Current Lieutenant Governors
The current Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky is Jacqueline Coleman (D). Coleman assumed office in 2019.
Authority
The Kentucky Constitution establishes the office of the lieutenant governor in Article 6, the Executive Department.
Under Article IV, Section 70:
|
The Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall be elected for the term of four years by the qualified voters of the State... |
Qualifications
| State Executives |
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 |
| Current Governors |
| Gubernatorial Elections |
| 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 |
| Current Lt. Governors |
| Lt. Governor Elections |
| 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 |
A candidate for lieutenant governor is required to:[1]
- be at least 30 years old
- have resided in the state for at least six years preceding the general election
Elections
- See also: Gubernatorial election cycles by state
- See also: Election of lieutenant governors
Kentucky holds off-year elections, that is, elections in odd-numbered years that are neither presidential nor midterm years. Elections are held in the year after a midterm and before a presidential (e.g. 2019, 2023, 2027, and 2013). Legally, the inauguration is always held the fifth Tuesday after an election.
In the event of a tie, a joint session of the legislature shall cast ballots, as set out in § 90.
Term limits
Term limits for the lieutenant governor are laid out in Section 82 of the Kentucky Constitution, which forbids lieutenant governors from serving more than two consecutive terms.
Kentucky Constitution, The Executive Department, Section 82:
| The Lieutenant Governor shall be ineligible to the office of Lieutenant Governor for the succeeding four (4) years after the expiration of any second consecutive term for which he shall have been elected. |
2027
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 2, 2027.
Past elections
= candidate completed the 
Vacancies
Details of vacancies are addressed under Article 6, Sections 85 and 87.
Any time the office of the lieutenant governor is vacant, either because the lieutenant governor has become the governor or because the lieutenant governor has died, resigned, or been removed, the President Pro Tem of the Kentucky State Senate is the first officer in the line of succession.
After the president pro tem, the office falls to the Attorney General of Kentucky and then the Kentucky Auditor.
Should the lieutenant governor vacate the office without an available president pro tem or while the state legislature is in recess, the attorney general is also responsible for convening the state senate for the purposes of choosing a new president, who can then become the acting lieutenant governor.
Duties
The lieutenant governor serves as governor of Kentucky if the governor leaves office or is otherwise incapacitated.[3]
Divisions
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
State budget
- See also: Kentucky state budget and finances
The Office of the Lieutenant Governor did not appear as a line item in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget. If you have information related to the budget for this office, please email us and let us know.
Compensation
- See also: Comparison of lieutenant gubernatorial salaries and Compensation of state executive officers
The salaries of the governor and lieutenant governor are determined by the Kentucky State Legislature. Section 74 maintains that the governor's pay is fixed by law.[4] Section 96 stipulates compensation for duties must be paid as a salary and in no other way.[5]
Kentucky Constitution, Section 74
| Compensation of Governor and Lieutenant Governor. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall at stated times receive for the performance of the duties of their respective offices compensation to be fixed by law. |
Kentucky Constitution, Section 96
| Compensation of Constitutional State officers. All officers mentioned in Section 95 shall be paid for their services by salary, and not otherwise. |
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $139,725, according to the Council of State Governments.[6]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $129,375, according to the Council of State Governments.[7]
2021
In 2021, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $129,375, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2020
In 2020, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $129,375 according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2019
In 2019, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $126,485 according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2018
In 2018, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $124,113 according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2017
In 2017, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $121,550 according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2016
In 2016, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $119,080 according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2015
In 2015, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $118,217 according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2014
In 2014, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $117,329 according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2013
In 2013, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $115,593 according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2012
In 2012, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $113,615 according to the Council of State Governments.
Historical officeholders
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Kentucky Lieutenant Governor. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact information
700 Capitol Avenue, Suite 100
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
Phone:502-564-2611
Fax:502-564-2517
See also
| Kentucky | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2012 - Table 4.13," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Governor and Lieutenant Governor," accessed November 4, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky Statutes, "11.400 Duties of Lieutenant Governor," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Kentucky Constitution, “Section 74: Compensation of Governor and Lieutenant Governor,” accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Kentucky Constitution, "Article 96: Compensation of Constitutional State officers," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed November 24, 2014
- ↑ The Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2013, Table 4.11," accessed January 31, 2014
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