Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
| Michigan Lieutenant Governor | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $111,510 |
| Term limits: | 2 terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Michigan Constitution, Article V, Section I |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
Garlin Gilchrist II | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Other Michigan Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Public Instruction • Director of Agriculture and Rural Development • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Director • Labor Director • Public Service Commission | |
The Lieutenant Governor of Michigan is an elected constitutional officer, the second ranking officer of the executive branch and the first officer in line to succeed the Governor of Michigan. The lieutenant governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two terms.
Current officeholder
- See also: Current Lieutenant Governors
The current Lieutenant Governor of Michigan is Garlin Gilchrist II (D). Gilchrist assumed office in 2019.
Authority
The Michigan Constitution establishes the office of the lieutenant governor in Article V, the Executive Department.
Under Article V, Section I:
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The executive power is vested in the governor... |
In addition to assisting the governor in executing his or her duties, Article 5, Section 26 explicitly makes the lieutenant governor second in line after the governor.
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, under Section 22, to be:
- at least 30 years old
- a registered voter in, and resident of, the state of Michigan for at least four years preceding the election
Elections
- See also: Gubernatorial election cycles by state
- See also: Election of lieutenant governors
Michigan elects governors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not presidential election years (e.g. 2018, 2022, 2026, and 2030). Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the first day of the New Year following an election.
Candidates for lieutenant governor are nominated at their respective political party conventions. The candidate runs on a joint ticket with that party’s gubernatorial candidate for election to a four-year term of office.
Term limits
- See also: States with gubernatorial term limits
The position of lieutenant governor has been subject to term limits since December 3, 1992, when an amendment passed in 1992 general election took effect. Added to the Michigan Constitution as Article V, Section 30, it reads, in part:
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No person shall be elected more than two times to each office of the executive branch of government: governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state or attorney general. Any person appointed or elected to fill a vacancy in the office of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state or attorney general for a period greater than one half of a term of such office, shall be considered to have been elected to serve one time in that office for purposes of this section. |
2022
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
The following candidates ran in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Garlin Gilchrist II (D) | 54.5 | 2,430,505 |
 | Shane Hernandez (R) | 43.9 | 1,960,635 | |
 | Brian Ellison (L) | 0.9 | 38,800 | |
 | Mellissa Carone (U.S. Taxpayers Party) | 0.4 | 16,246 | |
 | Destiny Clayton (G) | 0.2 | 10,766 | |
 | Doug Dern (Natural Law Party) | 0.1 | 4,973 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 47 | ||
| Total votes: 4,461,972 | |||
 = 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. | ||||
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Democratic convention
Democratic convention for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
Incumbent Garlin Gilchrist II advanced from the Democratic convention for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan on August 21, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Garlin Gilchrist II (D) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican convention
Republican convention for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
Shane Hernandez advanced from the Republican convention for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan on August 27, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Shane Hernandez (R) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Green convention
Green convention for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
Destiny Clayton advanced from the Green convention for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan on April 23, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Destiny Clayton (G) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
Brian Ellison advanced from the Libertarian convention for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan on July 10, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Brian Ellison (L) |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
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U.S. Taxpayers Party convention
U.S. Taxpayers Party convention for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
Mellissa Carone advanced from the U.S. Taxpayers Party convention for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan on July 23, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Mellissa Carone (U.S. Taxpayers Party) |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
Past elections
Vacancies
Details of vacancy appointments are addressed under Article V, Section 26.
Whenever the lieutenant governor's office is vacant, the line of succession devolves to the elected President Pro Tem of the Michigan State Senate, the elected Speaker of the House and then such offices as the legislative branch shall designate.
Duties
As defined in the state constitution, the lieutenant governor performs gubernatorial functions in the governor’s absence, presides over the state senate, provides a tie-breaking vote in the state senate, serves as a member of the state administrative board, and represents the governor and the state at selected local, state and national meetings. In addition, the governor may delegate additional responsibilities to the lieutenant governor.
In the event of a vacancy in the office of governor, the lieutenant governor is first in line to succeed to the position.
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 Michigan 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.
Compensation
- See also: Comparison of lieutenant gubernatorial salaries and Compensation of state executive officers
The Michigan Constitution allows that the compensation for the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and attorney general shall be provided by law, and is not to be altered during the term of office. Established under Article IV, Section 12 of the Michigan Constitution, the State Officers Compensation Commission was created to determine the salaries of select public officials. The seven-member, government-appointed commission meets every two years. The commission may propose compensation increases, but may only propose a reduction in salary if the proposed amount is equal to or higher than the salary in place when the official took office. Once approved by the legislature, compensation is effective during the legislative session following the subsequent general election.[1]
Article V, Section 23 of the Michigan Constitution:
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The governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and attorney general shall each receive the compensation provided by law in full payment for all services performed and expenses incurred during his term of office. Such compensation shall not be changed during the term of office except as otherwise provided in this constitution. |
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $111,510, according to the Council of State Governments.[2]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $111,510, according to the Council of State Governments.[3]
2021
In 2021, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $111,510, according to the Council of State Governments.[4]
2020
In 2020, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $111,510 according to the Council of State Governments.[5]
2019
In 2019, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $111,510 according to the Council of State Governments.[6]
2018
In 2018, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $111,510 according to the Council of State Governments.[7]
2017
In 2017, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $111,510 according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2016
In 2016, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $111,510 according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2015
In 2015, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $111,510 according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2014
In 2014, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $111,510 according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2013
In 2013, the lieutenant governor's salary was estimated at $111,510.[12]
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 Michigan 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
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Contact information
Mailing address
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, Michigan 48909
See also
| Michigan | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Michigan Civil Service Commission, “State Officers Compensation Commission,” accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 21, 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 20, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 20, 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 December 2, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials:Annual Salaries," accessed January 28, 2014
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