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Lieutenant Governor of California
| California Lieutenant Governor | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $168,015 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $2,917,000 |
| Term limits: | 2 terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | California Constitution, Article 5, Section 9 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
Lieutenant Governor of California
Eleni Kounalakis | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Other California Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Controller • Superintendent of Public Instruction • Agriculture Secretary • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Secretary • Industrial Relations Director • Public Utilities Commission | |
The Lieutenant Governor of California is an elected constitutional officer, the second-ranking officer of the executive branch and the first person in line to succeed the Governor of California. The lieutenant governor is popularly elected every four years and is limited to two terms.
Current officeholder
The current Lieutenant Governor of California is Eleni Kounalakis (D). Kounalakis assumed office in 2019.
Authority
The California Constitution addresses the office of the lieutenant governor in Article V, the Executive.[1]
California Constitution, Article 5, Section 9
|
The Lieutenant Governor shall have the same qualifications as the Governor. The Lieutenant Governor is President of the Senate but has only a casting vote. |
Qualifications
| State Executives |
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 |
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| Gubernatorial Elections |
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| Current Lt. Governors |
| Lt. Governor Elections |
| 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 |
The lieutenant governor must fulfill the same qualifications as the governor and may not hold any other public offices, engage in any lobbying, or accept any honorariums. The lieutenant governor must be a registered voter in California, a resident of the state for at least five years on election day, and an American citizens for at least five years. As of July 2021, the California Secretary of State's office considered the five-year state residency requirement to run for political office to be in violation of the U.S. Constitution and required only that candidates hold U.S. citizenship.[2]
California Constitution, Article 5, Section 9
|
The Lieutenant Governor shall have the same qualifications as the Governor. |
Elections
- See also: Gubernatorial election cycles by state
- See also: Election of lieutenant governors
California elects lieutenant governors on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in federal midterm election years (e.g. 2018, 2022, 2026 and 2030).[3] The lieutenant governor assumes office on the first Monday in the new year following the election.
California Constitution, Article 5, Section 11
|
The Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Controller, Secretary of State, and Treasurer shall be elected at the same time and places and for the same term as the Governor. No Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Controller, Secretary of State, or Treasurer may serve in the same office for more than 2 terms. |
Term limits
Per Article 5, Section 11 of the state constitution, lieutenant governors, like all state constitutional officers, face an absolute limit of two terms in office.
California Constitution, Article V, Section 11:
| The Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Controller, Secretary of State, and Treasurer shall be elected at the same time and places and for the same term as the Governor. No Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Controller, Secretary of State, or Treasurer may serve in the same office for more than 2 terms. |
2022
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of California
Incumbent Eleni Kounalakis defeated Angela Underwood Jacobs in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of California on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Eleni Kounalakis (D) | 59.7 | 6,418,119 |
 | Angela Underwood Jacobs (R) | 40.3 | 4,332,602 | |
| Total votes: 10,750,721 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Lieutenant Governor of California
The following candidates ran in the primary for Lieutenant Governor of California on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Eleni Kounalakis (D) | 52.7 | 3,617,121 |
| ✔ | | Angela Underwood Jacobs (R) | 19.9 | 1,365,468 |
 | David Fennell (R) | 13.4 | 922,493 | |
| Clint Saunders (R) | 4.5 | 306,216 | ||
 | Jeffrey Highbear Morgan (D) | 3.3 | 229,121 | |
 | Mohammad Arif (Peace and Freedom Party) | 2.7 | 183,150 | |
 | William Saacke (D) | 2.5 | 171,800 | |
 | David Hillberg (Independent) | 1.1 | 74,289 | |
 | James Orlando Ogle III (No party preference) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 25 | |
| Total votes: 6,869,683 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Scott Sebel (R)
- Boris Romanowsky (Independent)
Past elections
Vacancies
The vacancy procedure for the office of lieutenant governor is determined by state statute rather than by the state constitution. When a vacancy occurs, the governor nominates a replacement to serve the remainder of the term under the next election. The appointee must be confirmed by a majority of both houses of the California State Legislature. Until the replacement is approved, the former officeholder's chief deputy holds the office.[4]
Duties
In addition to ceremonial roles, serving as acting governor in the absence of the governor, and as President of the California State Senate, the lieutenant governor either sits on, or appoints representatives to, many of California's regulatory commissions and executive agencies.
The lieutenant governor sits on several boards of higher education: the University of California Board of Regents, California State University Board of Trustees, the California Community Colleges Board of Governors, and the Calbright College Board of Trustees.[5]
The lieutenant governor serves on the California State Lands Commission and alternates years as the chair with the California State Controller. While chair of the lands commission, the lieutenant governor also serves as a member of the California Ocean Protection Council and as a non-voting member of the California Coastal Commission. The lieutenant governor also chairs the California Commission for Economic Development.[5]
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 California 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: California state budget and finances
The budget for the California Lieutenant Governor's Office in the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year was $2,917,000.[6]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers and Comparison of lieutenant gubernatorial salaries
The salaries of California's elected executives are determined by the California Citizens Compensation Commission, a seven-member board appointed by the governor to six-year terms. The commission was established after voters passed Proposition 112, an amendment to the California Constitution, in 1990. Commissioners meet prior to June 30 of each year to determine salary recommendations with changes effective the following December. From 2001 to 2013, the commission voted to increase salaries or benefits five times and decreased or made no changes to salaries eight times.[7]
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $168,015, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $163,910, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2021
In 2021, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $157,310, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2020
In 2020, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $157,310 according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2019
In 2019, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $151,260 according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2018
In 2018, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $146,854 according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2017
In 2017, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $142,577 according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2016
In 2016, the lieutenant governor’s salary was increased to $137,093 according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2015
In 2015, the lieutenant governor’s salary was increased to $133,100 according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2014
In 2014, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $130,490 according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
2013
In 2013, the lieutenant governor was paid an estimated $130,490. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.[18]
2010
In 2010, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $130,490.[19]
Historical officeholders
| List of officeholders from 1849-Present[20] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
| 1 | John McDougal | 1849-1851 |  Democratic Independent
| ||
| 2 | David C. Broderick | 1851-1852 | Democratic
| ||
| 3 | Samuel Purdy | 1852-1856 | Democratic
| ||
| 4 | Robert M. Anderson | 1856-1858 |  American Independent Party
| ||
| 5 | John Walkup | 1858-1860 | Democratic
| ||
| 6 | John G Downey | 1860-1860 | Democratic Leocompton
| ||
| 7 | Isaac N. Quinn | 1860-1861 | Democratic
| ||
| 8 | Pablo de la Guerra | 1861-1862 | Democratic
| ||
| 9 | John F. Chellis | 1862-1863 |  Republican
| ||
| 10 | T. N. Machin | 1863-1867 | Republican Unionist
| ||
| 11 | William Holden | 1867-1871 | Democratic
| ||
| 12 | Romualdo Pacheco | 1871-1875 | Republican
| ||
| 13 | William Irwin | 1875-1875 | Democratic
| ||
| 14 | James A Johnson | 1875-1880 | Democratic
| ||
| 15 | John Mansfield | 1880-1883 | Republican
| ||
| 16 | John Daggett | 1883-1887 | Democratic
| ||
| 17 | Robert W Waterman | 1887-1887 | Republican
| ||
| 18 | Stephen M White | 1887-1891 | Democratic
| ||
| 19 | John B. Reddick | 1891-1895 | Republican
| ||
| 20 | Spencer G. Millard | 1895-1895 | Republican
| ||
| 21 | William T. Jeter | 1895-1899 | Democratic
| ||
| 22 | Jacob H. Neff | 1899-1903 | Republican
| ||
| 23 | Alden Anderson | 1903-1907 | Republican
| ||
| 24 | Warren R. Porter | 1907-1911 | Republican
| ||
| 25 | A.J. Wallace | 1911-1915 | Republican
| ||
| 26 | John M. Eshleman | 1915-1916 |  Progressive Democratic Party
| ||
| 27 | William D. Stephens | 1916-1919 | Republican
| ||
| 28 | C. C. Young | 1919-1927 | Republican
| ||
| 29 | Buron Fitts | 1927-1928 | Republican
| ||
| 30 | H.L. Carnahan | 1928-1931 | Republican
| ||
| 31 | Frank F. Merriam | 1931-1935 | Republican
| ||
| 32 | George J. Hatfield | 1935-1939 | Republican
| ||
| 33 | Ellis E. Patterson | 1939-1943 | Democratic
| ||
| 34 | Frederick Houser | 1943-1947 | Republican
| ||
| 35 | Goodwin J. Knight | 1947-1953 | Republican
| ||
| 36 | Harold J Powers | 1953-1959 | Republican
| ||
| 37 | Glenn M. Anderson | 1959-1967 | Democratic
| ||
| 38 | Robert H. Finch | 1967-1969 | Republican
| ||
| 39 | Ed Reinecke | 1969-1974 | Republican
| ||
| 40 | John L. Harmer | 1974-1975 | Republican
| ||
| 41 | Mervyn M. Dymally | 1975-1979 | Democratic
| ||
| 42 | Mike Curb | 1979-1983 | Republican
| ||
| 43 | Leo T. McCarthy | 1983-1995 | Democratic
| ||
| 44 | Gray Davis | 1995-1999 | Democratic
| ||
| 45 | Cruz Bustamante | 1999-2007 | Democratic
| ||
| 46 | John Garamendi | 2007-2009 | Democratic
| ||
| 47 | Mona Pasquil | 2009-2010 | Democratic
| ||
| 48 | Abel Maldonado | 2010-2011 | Republican
| ||
| 49 | Gavin Newsom | 2011-2019 | Democratic
| ||
| 50 | Eleni Kounalakis | 2019-present | Democratic
| ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms California Lieutenant Governor Newsom. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact information
Capitol Office
State Capitol, Room 1114
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-8994
See also
| California | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ California Constitution, "Article 5, Section 9," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Summary of Qualifications and Requirements for the Office of Governor," accessed July 6, 2021
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Sections 1000-1003," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ California Government Code, "Section 1775," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lieutenant Governor of California, "About the Office on Lt. Governor," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ California Budget, "2024-25 Budget - 0750 Office of the Lieutenant Governor," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑ California Citizens Compensation Commission, "About the Commission," 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 14, 2014
- ↑ The Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2013, Table 4.11," accessed January 31, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2010 -- Table 4.11," accessed June 23, 2011
- ↑ National Governors Association, "California Secretary of State," accessed January 19, 2021
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