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Lieutenant Governor office comparison: Difference between revisions

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{{SEO small nav}}{{tnr}}The office of '''Lieutenant Governor''' is an elected statewide executive office in 43 states. Two states - [[Tennessee]] and [[West Virginia]] - bestow the title of Lieutenant Governor on senate presidents. The five states that do not have a Lieutenant Governor position include [[Lieutenant Governor of Maine|Maine]], [[Arizona Lieutenant Governor|Arizona]], [[Wyoming Lieutenant Governor|Wyoming]], [[New Hampshire Lieutenant Governor|New Hampshire]] and [[Lieutenant Governor of Oregon|Oregon]].
{{#setmainimage:StateExecLogo.png}}{{SEO small nav}}{{tnr}}The office of '''Lieutenant Governor''' is an elected statewide executive office in 43 states. Two states—[[Tennessee]] and [[West Virginia]]—bestow the title of lieutenant governor on senate presidents. The five states that do not have a lieutenant governor position include [[Lieutenant Governor of Maine|Maine]], [[Arizona Lieutenant Governor|Arizona]], [[Wyoming Lieutenant Governor|Wyoming]], [[New Hampshire Lieutenant Governor|New Hampshire]], and [[Lieutenant Governor of Oregon|Oregon]].


In [[Alaska]], [[Hawaii]], [[New Jersey]] and [[Utah]], the position of Lieutenant Governor is equivalent to that of [[Secretary of State]].
In [[Alaska]], [[Hawaii]], [[New Jersey]], and [[Utah]], the position of lieutenant governor is equivalent to that of [[Secretary of State]].


In the majority of the states with the position, the role and duties of the lieutenant governor are similar, with the main responsibility being to act as [[Governor]] if the Governor is absent from office, and to succeed a Governor who dies, resigns, or is removed from office.
In the majority of the states with the position, the role and duties of the lieutenant governor are similar, with the main responsibility being to act as [[Governor|governor]] if the governor is absent from the office, and to succeed a governor who dies, resigns, or is removed from office.


However, beyond that, the duties of the office are often not explicitly laid out, resulting in the position being largely shaped by the governor and the officeholder. This page compares the office from state to state, examining similarities and differences such as how they win office, term limits, authority, budget, and duties.
However, beyond that, the duties of the office are often not explicitly laid out, resulting in the position being largely shaped by the governor and the officeholder. This page compares the office from state to state, examining similarities and differences such as how they win office, term limits, authority, salary, and duties.


==Current officeholders==
==Current officeholders==
===Political parties===
===Political parties===
The chart below is a breakdown of the political parties pertaining to the state executive office of lieutenant governor. For other state executive offices, [[State executive offices|click here.]]
The chart below is a breakdown of the political parties pertaining to the state executive office of the lieutenant governor. For other state executive offices, [[State executive offices|click here.]]


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! style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;" | {{reddot}} Republican
! style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;" | {{reddot}} Republican
! style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;" | {{greydot}} Independent
! style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;" | {{greydot}} Independent
! style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;" | Nonpartisan
! style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;" | Vacant
! style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;" | Total seats
! style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;" | Total seats


|-
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| [[Lieutenant Governor|Lt. Governor]]
| [[Lieutenant Governor (state executive office)|State Lieutanant Governors]]
| align="center" |{{Democratic Lt. gov parser count}}
| align="center" | {{Democratic Lt. gov partisan count}}<!--D-->
| align="center" |{{Republican Lt. gov parser count}}
| align="center" | {{Republican Lt. gov partisan count}}<!--R-->
| align="center" |{{Independent Lt. gov parser count}}
| align="center" | {{Independent Lt. gov partisan count}}<!--Independents-->
| align="center" |{{Nonpartisan Lt. gov parser count}}
| align="center" | {{Lt. gov partisan vacancy count}}<!--Vacancies-->
| align="center"|45
| align="center"|45
|-
|-
|colspan="6"|''<small>Counts current as of {{#time:F Y}}.  If you see an error, please [mailto:stateexecutives@ballotpedia.org email us]</small>''<br><small>'''''Seat totals for each office may not match up with partisan totals due to current vacancies.'''''</small>
|colspan="6"|''<small>Counts current as of {{#time:F Y}}<br>If you see an error, please [mailto:editor@ballotpedia.org email us]</small>''
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{{Current Lieutenant Governor list}}
{{Current Lieutenant Governor list}}


== Qualifications==
==Salaries by state==
:: ''See also: [[Comparison of lieutenant gubernatorial salaries]]''
 
{{LtGubernatorialSalariesComparison}}
 
==About the office==
===Elected or Appointed===
[[File:LtGovElected.png|thumb|right|320px|43 states directly elect Lt. Governors. Only two states—Tennessee and West Virginia—do not.]]
Only two states do not have direct elections for lieutenant governor—Tennessee and West Virginia. In both states, whoever is elected the President of the State Senate is the de facto Lieutenant Governor. In Tennessee, the full title of this individual is, "Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate." West Virginia allows the Senate President to use the title, "Lieutenant Governor."<ref name=2021salary>[https://issuu.com/csg.publications/docs/bos_2021_issuu/150 ''Issuu'', "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022]</ref>
 
'''Of the 43 states that elect lieutenant governors, there are three methods by which officeholders are chosen:'''
* on a single ticket in both the primary and general elections (20 states)
** [[Lieutenant Governor of Colorado|Colorado]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut|Connecticut]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Florida|Florida]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii|Hawaii]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Indiana|Indiana]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Iowa|Iowa]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Kansas|Kansas]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky|Kentucky]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Maryland|Maryland]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Michigan|Michigan]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota|Minnesota]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Montana|Montana]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska|Nebraska]], [[Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey|New Jersey]], [[Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico|New Mexico]], [[Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota|North Dakota]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Ohio|Ohio]], [[Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota|South Dakota]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Utah|Utah]], and [[Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin|Wisconsin]]
* separately in the primary election; for the general election each party's ticket for Governor and Lt. Governor is made up of the highest vote-getters in the separate primary elections (6 states)
**[[Lieutenant Governor of Alaska|Alaska]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Illinois|Illinois]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana|Louisiana]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts|Massachusetts]], [[Lieutenant Governor of New York|New York]], and [[Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]]
* entirely separate elections for governor and lt. governor (17 states)
**[[Lieutenant Governor of Alabama|Alabama]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas|Arkansas]], [[Lieutenant Governor of California|California]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Delaware|Delaware]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Georgia|Georgia]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Idaho|Idaho]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi|Mississippi]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Missouri|Missouri]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Nevada|Nevada]], [[Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina|North Carolina]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma|Oklahoma]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island|Rhode Island]], [[Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina|South Carolina]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Texas|Texas]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Vermont|Vermont]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Virginia|Virginia]], and [[Lieutenant Governor of Washington|Washington]]
 
===Qualifications===
Qualifications for the office of lieutenant governor vary widely from state to state.  
Qualifications for the office of lieutenant governor vary widely from state to state.  


<big>'''Minimum age'''</big><br>
<big>'''Minimum age'''</big><br>
43 states have a formal provision specifying minimum age, while two, [[Kansas]] and [[Massachusetts]] have no formal provision.<ref name="4.13"> [http://knowledgecenter.csg.org/drupal/system/files/4.13_2013.pdf ''The Council of State Governments,'' "Book of the States, Table 4.13 - Lieutenant Governors: Qualifications and Terms," accessed October 21, 2013] </ref>
43 states have a formal provision specifying minimum age, while two states, [[Kansas]] and [[Massachusetts]], have no formal provision.<ref name="4.13"> [https://issuu.com/csg.publications/docs/bos_2021_issuu/161 ''Issuu'', "The Book of the States 2021, Table 4.13 - Lieutenant Governors: Qualifications and Terms," accessed September 22, 2022]</ref>  


Of the 43 states:
Of the 43 states:
*29 designate an officeholder must be at least 30 years of age
*29 designate an officeholder must be at least 30 years of age
*6 require a minimum age of 25. These include [[Illinois]], [[Louisiana]], [[Minnesota]], [[Montana]], [[Nevada]] and [[West Virginia]].
*6 require a minimum age of 25. These include [[Illinois]], [[Louisiana]], [[Minnesota]], [[Montana]], [[Nevada]], and [[West Virginia]].
*6 require a minimum age of 18. These include [[California]], [[Ohio]], [[Rhode Island]], [[Vermont]], [[Washington]] and [[Wisconsin]].
*6 require a minimum age of 18. These include [[California]], [[Ohio]], [[Rhode Island]], [[Vermont]], [[Washington]], and [[Wisconsin]].
*1, [[South Dakota]], sets the limit at 21.
*1, [[South Dakota]], sets the limit at 21.
*1, [[Oklahoma]], sets the limit at 31.
*1, [[Oklahoma]], sets the limit at 31.


<big>'''State Citizen'''</big><br>
<big>'''State Citizen'''</big><br>
33 states have a formal provision stating a lieutenant governor must be a state citizen, while 12 do not have a formal provision. Of the 33 states, 15 specify the number of years and 18 do not.<ref name="4.13"/>  
31 states have a formal provision stating a lieutenant governor must be a state citizen, while 14 do not have a formal provision. Of the 31 states, 16 specify the number of years and 15 do not.<ref name="4.13"/>  
 
States that specify the number of years as a state citizen:


States that specify number of years as a state citizen:
* 2 years - [[Montana]], [[Nevada]]
* 1 year - [[West Virginia]]
* 2 years - [[Montana]], [[Nevada]], [[South Dakota]]
* 4 years - [[Vermont]]
* 4 years - [[Vermont]]
* 5 years - [[Hawaii]], [[Louisiana]], [[Nebraska]], [[North Dakota]], [[South Carolina]]
* 5 years - [[Hawaii]], [[Louisiana]], [[Nebraska]], [[North Dakota]], [[South Carolina]], [[West Virginia]]
* 6 years - [[Kentucky]]
* 6 years - [[Kentucky]]
* 7 years - [[Alabama]], [[Arkansas]]
* 7 years - [[Alabama]], [[Alaska]], [[Arkansas]]
*10 years - [[Missouri]], [[Oklahoma]]
*10 years - [[Georgia]], [[Missouri]], [[Oklahoma]]


<big>'''U.S. citizen'''</big><br>
<big>'''U.S. citizen'''</big><br>
43 states have a formal provision stating a lieutenant governor must be a United States citizen, while 2 - [[Kansas]] and [[North Dakota]] - do not have a formal provision. Of the 43 states, 12 specify the number of years and 31 do not.<ref name="4.13"/>  
41 states have a formal provision stating a lieutenant governor must be a United States citizen, while four—[[Kansas]], [[Massachusetts]], [[North Dakota]], and [[West Virginia]]—do not have a formal provision. Of the 41 states, 10 specify the number of years and 31 do not.<ref name="4.13"/>  


States that specify number of years as a United States citizen:
States that specify the number of years as a United States citizen:
*1 year - [[West Virginia]]
*2 years - [[Iowa]]
*2 years - [[Iowa]]
*5 years - [[Louisiana]], [[North Carolina]], [[South Carolina]]
*5 years - [[Louisiana]], [[North Carolina]], [[South Carolina]]
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*10 years – [[Alabama]]
*10 years – [[Alabama]]
*12 years – [[Delaware]]
*12 years – [[Delaware]]
*15 years – [[Georgia]], [[Missouri]]
*15 years – [[Missouri]]
*20 years - [[Mississippi]], [[New Jersey]]
*20 years - [[Mississippi]], [[New Jersey]]


<big>'''State Resident'''</big><br>
<big>'''State Resident'''</big><br>
43 states have a formal provision stating a lieutenant governor must be a state resident, while 2 - [[Kansas]] and [[North Dakota]] - do not have a formal provision. Of the 43 states, 32 specify the number of years and 11 do not.<ref name="4.13"/>  
43 states have a formal provision stating a lieutenant governor must be a state resident, while two—[[Kansas]] and [[North Dakota]]—do not have a formal provision. Of the 43 states, 33 specify the number of years and 10 do not.<ref name="4.13"/>  


States that specify number of years as a state resident:
States that specify the number of years as a state resident:
*1 year - [[Minnesota]], [[Wisconsin]]
*1 year - [[Minnesota]],  
*2 years - [[ Colorado]], [[Idaho]], [[Iowa]], [[Montana]], [[Nevada]], [[North Carolina]], [[South Dakota]]
*2 years - [[Colorado]], [[Idaho]], [[Iowa]], [[Montana]], [[Nevada]], [[North Carolina]], [[South Dakota]]
*3 years - [[Illinois]], [[Tennessee]]
*3 years - [[Illinois]], [[Tennessee]]
*4 years - [[Michigan]], [[Vermont]]
*4 years - [[Michigan]], [[Vermont]]
*5 years - [[ California]], [[Hawaii]], [[Louisiana]], [[Mississippi]], [[Nebraska]], [[New Mexico]], [[New York]], [[South Carolina]], [[Texas]], [[Virginia]]
*5 years - [[California]], [[Hawaii]], [[Louisiana]], [[Mississippi]], [[Nebraska]], [[New Mexico]], [[New York]], [[South Carolina]], [[Texas]], [[Virginia]], [[West Virginia]]
*6 years -  [[Delaware]], [[Georgia]]
*6 years -  [[Delaware]]
*7 years - [[Alabama]], [[ Alaska]], [[ Arkansas]], [[Florida]], [[New Jersey]], [[Pennsylvania]]
*7 years - [[Alabama]], [[Alaska]], [[Arkansas]], [[Florida]], [[Massachusetts]], [[New Jersey]], [[Pennsylvania]]
*10 years – [[Missouri]]
*10 years – [[Missouri]]
*15 years – [[Georgia]]


<big>'''Qualified Voter'''</big><br>
<big>'''Qualified Voter'''</big><br>
29 states have a formal provision stating a lieutenant governor must be a qualified voter, while 16 do not have a formal provision. Of the 29 states, 3 specify the number of years and 26 do not.<ref name="4.13"/>
30 states have a formal provision stating a lieutenant governor must be a qualified voter, while 15 do not have a formal provision. Of the 30 states, three specify the number of years and 27 do not.<ref name="4.13"/>


States that specify number of years as a qualified voter:
States that specify the number of years as a qualified voter:
*1 year - [[Tennessee]]
*1 year - [[Tennessee]]
*4 years - [[Michigan]]
*4 years - [[Michigan]]
*5 years - [[Virginia]]
*5 years - [[Virginia]]


==Term Limits==
===Term Limits===
:: ''See also: [[State executives with term limits]]''
:: ''See also: [[State executives with term limits]]''
[[File:Lt. Gov. term limits.png|thumb|right|320px|Lieutenant Governors in 25 states are subject to term limits.]]
Of the 43 Lieutenant Governors, 25 have term limits, while 18 do not. The two senate presidents (Tennessee and West Virginia) who are designated as lieutenant governors do not face legislative term limits, but do serve two-year terms. Of the elected lieutenant governors, all serve four-year terms with the exception of [[Vermont]], who serves a two-year term.<ref> [http://knowledgecenter.csg.org/drupal/system/files/4.9_2013.pdf ''The Council of State Governments,'' "Book of the States, Table 4.9 - Constitutional and Statutory Provisions for Number of Consecutive Terms of Elected State Officials," accessed October 21, 2013] </ref>


*15 lieutenant governors are limited to serving two four-year terms. This includes [[Arkansas]], [[California]], [[Colorado]], [[Delaware]], [[Indiana]], [[Kansas]], [[Kentucky]], [[Maryland]], [[Michigan]], [[Nevada]], [[New Jersey]], [[North Carolina]], [[Ohio]], [[Pennsylvania]] and [[South Carolina]].
Of the 43 Lieutenant Governors, 23 have term limits, while 20 do not. The two senate presidents (Tennessee and West Virginia) who are designated as lieutenant governors do not face legislative term limits but do serve two-year terms. Of the elected lieutenant governors, all serve four-year terms except for [[Vermont]], who serves a two-year term.<ref> [https://issuu.com/csg.publications/docs/bos_2021_issuu/161 ''Issuu'', "The Book of the States 2021, Table 4.13 - Lieutenant Governors: Qualifications and Terms," accessed September 22, 2022]</ref>
*8 are limited to serving two consecutive four-year terms, after which they must wait four years and/or one full term before being eligible again. These include [[Alabama]], [[Alaska]], [[Hawaii]], [[Mississippi]], [[Nebraska]], [[New Mexico]], [[Rhode Island]] and [[South Dakota]].
 
*1, [[Montana]], is limited to two terms in any 16 year span.
*6 lieutenant governors are limited to serving two four-year terms. These include [[Arkansas]], [[California]], [[Delaware]], [[Michigan]], [[Nevada]], and [[Oklahoma]].
*1, [[Florida]], is limited to two consecutive terms. These need not necessarily be two ''full'' terms: if a person has served more than six years in a row, he is considered to have served two terms. He can run again after remaining out of office for one term.
*12 lieutenant governors are limited to serving two consecutive four-year terms, after which they must wait four years and/or one full term before being eligible again. These include [[Alabama]], [[Colorado]], [[Hawaii]], [[Kansas]], [[Kentucky]], [[New Mexico]], [[North Carolina]], [[Ohio]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[Rhode Island]], [[South Carolina]], and [[South Dakota]].
*4 lieutenant governors—[[Alaska]], [[Florida]], [[Mississippi]], and [[Nebraska]]—are limited to two consecutive terms and must wait one term before being eligible to run again.
*1 lieutenant governor, [[Montana]], is limited to two terms in any 16 years.


==Authority==
===Authority===
All 43 elected lieutenant governors derive their authority from their state's [[State constitution|Constitution]]. The great majority of these were original state executive positions. Notable exceptions include:
All 43 elected lieutenant governors derive their authority from their state's [[State constitution|Constitution]]. The majority of these were original state executive positions. Notable exceptions include:


*Established soon after the Civil War, the office of the [[Lieutenant Governor of Alabama]] was abolished with the 1875 Constitution and recreated in the 1901.<ref> [http://www.archives.alabama.gov/conoff/lieulist.html ''Alabama Department of Archives and History,'' " Alabama Lieutenant Governors," accessed October 22, 2013] </ref>
*Established soon after the Civil War, the office of the [[Lieutenant Governor of Alabama|lieutenant governor of Alabama]] was abolished with the 1875 Constitution and recreated in 1901.<ref> [http://www.archives.alabama.gov/conoff/lieulist.html ''Alabama Department of Archives and History,'' " Alabama Lieutenant Governors," accessed October 22, 2013] </ref>
*The [[Alaska Lieutenant Governor/Secretary of State, Amendment 3 (August 1970)|Alaska Lieutenant Governor/Secretary of State ballot question]], passed by voters in 1970, amended the state Constitution to change the name of the Secretary of State to the Lieutenant Governor, with all powers and duties remaining the same.
*The [[Alaska Lieutenant Governor/Secretary of State, Amendment 3 (August 1970)|Alaska Lieutenant Governor/Secretary of State ballot question]], passed by voters in 1970, amended the state Constitution to change the name of the secretary of state to the lieutenant governor, with all powers and duties remaining the same.
*The position of [[Arkansas Lieutenant Governor]] was established by a 1914 constitutional amendment, though the position was vacant until 1927 due to confusion over whether the amendment had actually been passed.<ref> [http://ltgovernor.arkansas.gov/office-history/ ''Arkansas Lieutenant Governor,'' " Office History," accessed October 22, 2013] </ref>
*The position of [[Arkansas Lieutenant Governor|Arkansas lieutenant governor]] was established by a 1914 constitutional amendment, though the position was vacant until 1927 due to confusion over whether the amendment had been passed.<ref> [http://ltgovernor.arkansas.gov/office-history/ ''Arkansas Lieutenant Governor,'' " Office History," accessed October 22, 2013] </ref>
*The [[New Jersey Lieutenant Governor]] took office for the first time in January 2010 following conjoint election with the [[governor]] of [[New Jersey]]. The position was created as the result of a [[New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Amendment, Question 1 (2005)|Constitutional amendment]] to the [[New Jersey Constitution|New Jersey State Constitution]] passed by the voters on November 8, 2005 and effective as of January 17, 2006.
*The [[New Jersey Lieutenant Governor|New Jersey lieutenant governor]] took office for the first time in January 2010 following a conjoint election with the [[governor]] of [[New Jersey]]. The position was created as the result of a [[New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Amendment, Question 1 (2005)|constitutional amendment]] to the [[New Jersey Constitution|New Jersey State Constitution]] passed by the voters on November 8, 2005, and effective as of January 17, 2006.
*The position of [[Utah]] Secretary of State was abolished by the legislature and became the lieutenant governor in 1980.<ref> [http://archives.utah.gov/research/agencyhistories/446.html ''Utah Department of Administrative Services,'' " Governor – Agency History #446,"  accessed October 22, 2013] </ref>
*The position of [[Utah]] secretary of state was abolished by the legislature and became the lieutenant governor in 1980.<ref> [http://archives.utah.gov/research/agencyhistories/446.html ''Utah Department of Administrative Services,'' " Governor – Agency History #446,"  accessed October 22, 2013] </ref>


The two states where senate presidents are given the title of lieutenant governor are unique:
The two states where senate presidents are given the title of lieutenant governor are unique:
*The [[Tennessee]] Speaker of the Senate has been the successor to the Governor since the first state Constitution of 1796 but did not receive the title of lieutenant governor until the enactment of a statutory law in 1951.<ref> [http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/tncode/ ''Lexis-Nexis,'' "Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-2-101," accessed December 28, 2012] </ref>
*The [[Tennessee]] Speaker of the Senate has been the successor to the Governor since the first state Constitution of 1796 but did not receive the title of lieutenant governor until the enactment of a statutory law in 1951.<ref> [http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/tncode/ ''Lexis-Nexis,'' "Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-2-101," accessed December 28, 2012] </ref>
*Similarly, the office of [[Lieutenant Governor of West Virginia]] does not exist in the state's constitution. Legislation in 2000 bestowed the title on the Senate President. In 2011, then acting Gov. [[Earl Ray Tomblin]] (R) submitted a [[West Virginia Lieutenant Governor Amendment (2012)|constitutional amendment]] to the legislature that would have created a new elected state executive position of lieutenant governor. It did not make it to the ballot in 2012.<ref> [https://web.archive.org/web/2/http://www.register-herald.com/todaysfrontpage/x962027204/Tomblin-proposes-lieutenant-governor ''Register Herald,'' "Tomblin proposes lieutenant governor," February 22, 2011] </ref>
*Similarly, the office of [[Lieutenant Governor of West Virginia|lieutenant governor of West Virginia]] does not exist in the state's constitution. Legislation in 2000 bestowed the title on the Senate President. In 2011, then acting Gov. [[Earl Ray Tomblin]] (R) submitted a [[West Virginia Lieutenant Governor Amendment (2012)|constitutional amendment]] to the legislature that would have created a new elected state executive position of lieutenant governor. It did not make it to the ballot in 2012.<ref> [https://web.archive.org/web/2/http://www.register-herald.com/todaysfrontpage/x962027204/Tomblin-proposes-lieutenant-governor ''Register Herald,'' "Tomblin proposes lieutenant governor," February 22, 2011] </ref>
 
===Recent attempts to abolish the office===
On April 11, 2013, the [[Illinois House of Representatives]] approved a proposal seeking to eliminate the position of [[Lieutenant Governor of Illinois|lieutenant governor]] by [[Illinois Constitution|constitutional amendment]]. In order for the measure to be passed, it must win approval of both the [[Illinois State Senate|State Senate]] and Illinois voters. If the proposal is approved in a statewide public vote, the office will remain intact for one final term following the 2014 election.<ref>[http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-quinn-guns-0412-20130412,0,4187302.story ''The Chicago Tribune,'' "House votes to eliminate lieutenant governor post," April 12, 2013]</ref> There have been at least 10 attempts to eliminate the office since 1970, but McSweeney's was the first to be passed by the House.<ref> [http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-04-29/opinion/ct-edit-lt-gov-0429-bd-20130429_1_lieutenant-governor-attorney-general-republican-dave-o-neal ''Chicago Tribune,'' "A job nobody would miss: Illinois lieutenant governor," April 29, 2013] </ref>
 
==Budget==
Budgets for lieutenant governors vary widely and, as the office itself occupies different positions within the state government hierarchy, can be difficult to compare. For example, some lieutenant governors fall under the governor's budget, while some are separate offices. Meanwhile, the breakdown of budgets can be difficult, with exactly how much money is going towards what specific end often unclear. Thus, while no clear-cut comparison can easily be made, it is still worthwhile to look at some of the information that can be gleaned from state budgets.
 
*[[South Dakota]]'s lieutenant governor is a division of the governor's office. For FY 2014, the lieutenant governor was allotted $33,480.<ref>[http://bfm.sd.gov/budget/BiB/SD_BIB_FY2014.pdf ''Bureau of Finance and Management,'' "State of South Dakota Budget in Brief Fiscal Year 2014," accessed June 22, 2013] </ref>
 
*The [[Lieutenant Governor of Idaho]] received a budget of $142,800 for FY 2013 and $147,600 for FY 2014.<ref> [http://legislature.idaho.gov/budget/publications/LFR/current/GeneralGovernment/26LtGov.pdf ''Idaho  2013 Legislative Fiscal Report,'' "Lieutenant Governor,"  accessed October 24, 2013] </ref>
 
*The [[South Carolina]] budget lists the lieutenant governor's office as a separate section. The total funds for the office in FY 2012-2013 were $39,168,199.<ref>[http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess119_2011-2012/appropriations2012/tas73.htm ''South Carolina General Assembly,'' "H. 4813 General Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2012-2013 - Section 73 Lieutenant Governor's office," accessed October 24, 2013] </ref>
 
*There is no budget for the office of Lieutenant Governor in [[New Jersey]].<ref>[http://www.politickernj.com/max/38504/govs-office-takes-issue-ap-salary-story ''PolitickerNK'', "Gov's Office takes issue with AP salary story," accessed June 24, 2013]</ref> The current Lieutenant Governor, [[Kim Guadagno]], serves as both Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State, and her budget is out of the Department of State. The budget for the Secretary of State's office in Fiscal Year 2013 was $3,376,000.<ref> [http://www.nj.gov/treasury/omb/publications/13veto/pdf/appropact.pdf#page=163&zoom=auto,0,598 ''New Jersey Department of the Treasury,'' "FY 2013 Appropriations Act," accessed April 16, 2013] </ref>
 
*Similarly, in [[Ohio]] the office of the Lieutenant Governor does not receive a separate budget from the office of Governor. The Lieutenant Governor is sometimes appointed to head a government agency. According to ''The Plain Dealer'' this is so, "a governor can get around paying both the lieutenant governor’s salary and the salaries of the office’s staff. Also the lieutenant governor can collect a bigger salary heading an agency."<ref>[http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2013/04/undefined_role_for_ohios_lieut.html ''Cleveland.com'', "Undefined role for Ohio's lieutenant governor often leads to double duty," accessed June 22, 2013]</ref> Current Lieutenant Governor [[Mary Taylor (Ohio)|Mary Taylor]] also serves as [[Ohio Director of Insurance]].
 
===Salary===
:: ''See also: [[Comparison of lieutenant gubernatorial salaries]]''
 
Easier to compare then budgets is yearly salaries (not necessarily total compensation) for lieutenant governors. The information in the following table comes from the annual Book of the States, a compilation of information collected by the [[Council of State Governments]], a nonprofit organization sponsored by state governments.<ref> [http://knowledgecenter.csg.org/drupal/system/files/4.11_2013.pdf ''Council of State Governments,'' "2013 Book of the States - Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed October 24, 2013] </ref><ref> [http://knowledgecenter.csg.org/drupal/system/files/4.11_2012.pdf ''Council of State Governments,'' "2012 Book of the States - Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed October 24, 2013] </ref><ref> [http://knowledgecenter.csg.org/drupal/system/files/Table_4.11.pdf ''Council of State Governments,'' "2010 Book of the States - Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed October 24, 2013] </ref>
 
{|class="wikitable sortable" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" border="1" style="background:none" style="width:25%;"
|-
! style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;" | State
! style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;" | 2013 Salary
! style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;" | 2013 Rank
! style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;" | 2012 Salary
! style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;" | 2012 Rank
! style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;" | 2010 Salary
! style="background-color:#00008B; color: white;" | 2010 Rank
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Alabama|Alabama]]
| $134,592
|5
| $134,592
| 5
|$73,488
|33
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Alaska|Alaska]]
|$115,000
|12
| $115,000
| 13
|$100,000
|20
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas|Arkansas]]
|$41,896
|40
| $41,896
| 40
|$42,219
|39
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of California|California]]
|$130,490
|6
| $130,490
| 6
|$130,490
|6
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Colorado|Colorado]]
|$68,500
|33
| $68,500
| 34
|$68,500
|35
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut|Connecticut]]
|$110,000
|17
| $110,000
| 18
|$110,000
|15
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Delaware|Delaware]]
|$78,553
|28
| $77,775
| 31
| $74,345
|32
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Florida|Florida]]
|$124,851
|8
| $124,851
| 8
|$124,851
|9
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Georgia|Georgia]]
|$91,609
|22
| $91,609
| 22
|$91,609
|24
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii|Hawaii]]
|$114,420
|15
| $114,420
| 15
|$114,420
|14
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Idaho|Idaho]]
|$35,100
|42
| $30,400
| 42
|$30,400
|41
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Illinois|Illinois]]
|$135,669
|4
| $135,669
| 4
|$135,700
|5
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Indiana|Indiana]]
|$85,881
|26
| $84,031
| 28
|$79,192
|28
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Iowa|Iowa]]
|$103,212
|20
| $103,212
| 21
|$103,212
|18
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Kansas|Kansas]]
|$54,000
|38
| $54,000
| 38
|$100,000
|19
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky|Kentucky]]
|$115,593
|11
| $113,615
| 16
|$108,720
|16
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana|Louisiana]]
|$115,000
|13
| $115,000
| 12
|$115,000
|12
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Maryland|Maryland]]
|$125,000
|7
| $125,000
| 7
|$125,000
|7
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts|Massachusetts]]
|$124,295
|10
| $124,295
| 9
|$124,920
|8
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Michigan|Michigan]]
|$111,510
|16
| $111,510
| 17
|$123,900
|10
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota|Minnesota]]
|$78,197
|29
| $78,197
| 29
|$78,197
|30
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi|Mississippi]]
|$60,000
|37
| $61,714
| 35
|$61,714
|36
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Missouri|Missouri]]
|$86,484
|24
| $86,484
| 24
| $86,484
|25
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Montana|Montana]]
|$86,362
|25
| $86,362
| 25
|$79,007
|29
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska|Nebraska]]
|$75,000
|32
| $75,000
| 33
|$75,000
|31
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Nevada|Nevada]]
|$63,648
|34
| $60,000
| 37
|$60,000
|38
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey|New Jersey]]
| $141,000
|3
| $141,000
| 3
|$141,000
|4
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico|New Mexico]]
| $85,000
|27
| $85,000
| 27
|$85,000
|26
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of New York|New York]]
|$151,500
|2
| $151,500
| 2
|$151,500
|1
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina|North Carolina]]
|$124,676
|9
| $123,198
| 10
|$123,198
|11
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota|North Dakota]]
|$90,828
|23
| $85,614
| 26
|$81,540
|27
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Ohio|Ohio]]
|$78,041
|30
| $78,041
| 30
|$142,501
|3
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma|Oklahoma]]
| $114,713
|14
| $114,713
| 14
|$114,713
|13
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]]
| $157,293
|1
| $153,907
| 1
|$146,926
|2
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island|Rhode Island]]
|$108,808
|18
| $108,808
| 19
|$99,214
|22
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina|South Carolina]]
|$46,545
|39
| $46,545
| 39
|$100,000
|21
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota|South Dakota]]
|$61,800 (Part-time)
|35
| $120,000
| 11
|$17,699
|42
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Texas|Texas]]
|$7,200
|43
| $7,200
| 43
|$7,200
|43
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Utah|Utah]]
| $104,000
|19
| $104,000
| 20
|$104,405
|17
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Vermont|Vermont]]
|$60,507
|36
| $60,507
| 36
|$60,507
|37
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Virginia|Virginia]]
|$36,221
|41
| $36,321
| 41
|$36,321
|40
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Washington|Washington]]
|$93,948
|21
| $91,129
| 23
|$93,948
|23
|-
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin|Wisconsin]]
| $76,261
|31
| $76,261
| 32
|$72,394
|34
|}
 
==Elected or Appointed==
[[File:LtGovElected.png|thumb|right|320px|43 states directly elect Lt. Governors. Only two states - Tennessee and West Virginia - do not.]]
Only two states do not have direct elections for lieutenant governor - Tennessee and West Virginia. In both states, whomever is elected the President of the State Senate is the de facto Lieutenant Governor. In Tennessee, the full title of this individual is, "Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate." In West Virginia, recent legislation allows the Senate President to use the title, "Lieutenant Governor." Prior to that change, West Virginia did not have a lieutenant governor.


'''Of the 43 states that elect lieutenant governors, there are three methods by which officeholders are chosen:'''
====Attempt to abolish the office in Illinois====
* on a single ticket in both the primary and general elections (20 states)
On April 11, 2013, the [[Illinois House of Representatives]] approved a proposal seeking to eliminate the position of [[Lieutenant Governor of Illinois|lieutenant governor]] by [[Illinois Constitution|constitutional amendment]]. For the measure to be passed, it had to win the approval of both the [[Illinois State Senate|state Senate]] and Illinois voters. If the proposal was approved in a statewide public vote, the office would have remained intact for one final term following the 2014 election.<ref>[http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-quinn-guns-0412-20130412,0,4187302.story ''The Chicago Tribune,'' "House votes to eliminate lieutenant governor post," April 12, 2013]</ref> There have been at least 10 attempts to eliminate the office since 1970, but [[David McSweeney|David McSweeney's]] (R) was the first to be passed by the House.<ref> [http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-04-29/opinion/ct-edit-lt-gov-0429-bd-20130429_1_lieutenant-governor-attorney-general-republican-dave-o-neal ''Chicago Tribune,'' "A job nobody would miss: Illinois lieutenant governor," April 29, 2013] </ref>
** [[Lieutenant Governor of Colorado|Colorado]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut|Connecticut]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Florida|Florida]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii|Hawaii]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Indiana|Indiana]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Iowa|Iowa]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Kansas|Kansas]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky|Kentucky]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Maryland|Maryland]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Michigan|Michigan]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota|Minnesota]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Montana|Montana]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska|Nebraska]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey|New Jersey]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico|New Mexico]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota|North Dakota]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Ohio|Ohio]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota|South Dakota]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Utah|Utah]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin|Wisconsin]]
* separately in the primary election; for the general election each party's ticket for Governor and Lt. Governor is made up of the highest vote getters in the separate primary elections (6 states)
**[[Lieutenant Governor of Alaska|Alaska]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Illinois|Illinois]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana|Louisiana]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts|Massachusetts]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of New York|New York]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]]
* entirely separate elections for governor and lt. governor (17 states)
**[[Lieutenant Governor of Alabama|Alabama]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas|Arkansas]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of California|California]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Delaware|Delaware]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Georgia|Georgia]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Idaho|Idaho]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi|Mississippi]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Missouri|Missouri]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Nevada|Nevada]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina|North Carolina]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma|Oklahoma]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island|Rhode Island]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina|South Carolina]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Texas|Texas]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Vermont|Vermont]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Virginia|Virginia]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Washington|Washington]]


==Duties==
===Duties===
The powers and duties of lieutenant governors come from a variety of sources - gubernatorial appointment, statute, the Constitution, direct democracy action and personal initiative.<ref> [http://knowledgecenter.csg.org/drupal/content/office-lieutenant-governor ''The Council of State Governments,'' " The Office of Lieutenant Governor,"  accessed October 21, 2013] </ref><ref name="4.14"> [http://knowledgecenter.csg.org/drupal/system/files/4.14_2013.pdf ''The Council of State Governments,'' "Book of the States, Table 4.14 - Lieutenant Governors: Powers and Duties," accessed October 21, 2013] </ref>
The powers and duties of lieutenant governors come from a variety of sources - gubernatorial appointment, statute, the Constitution, direct democracy action, and personal initiative.<ref name="4.14"> [https://issuu.com/csg.publications/docs/bos_2021_issuu/162 ''Issuu'', "The Book of the States 2021, Table 4.14 - Lieutenant Governors: Powers and Duties," accessed September 22, 2022]</ref>  


*All 43 elected lieutenant governors are the first in line of succession to the governor's office. The two senate presidents in [[Tennessee]] and [[West Virginia]], who are bestowed with the title of lieutenant governor, are the first in line. In the five states without lieutenant governors, the senate presidents in [[New Hampshire]] and [[Maine]] are the first, while the secretary of states in [[Arizona]], [[Oregon]] and [[Wyoming]] are first in line.<ref> [http://knowledgecenter.csg.org/drupal/content/lieutenant-governors-and-role-succession-0 ''The Council of State Governments,'' "Lieutenant Governors and the Role of Succession,"  July 1, 2011] </ref>
*All 43 elected lieutenant governors are the first in the line of succession to the governor's office. The two senate presidents in [[Tennessee]] and [[West Virginia]], who are bestowed with the title of lieutenant governor, are the first in line. In the five states without lieutenant governors, the senate presidents in [[New Hampshire]] and [[Maine]] are the first, while the secretary of states in [[Arizona]], [[Oregon]], and [[Wyoming]] are first in line.<ref> [https://web.archive.org/web/20130902232850/http://knowledgecenter.csg.org/drupal/content/lieutenant-governors-and-role-succession-0 ''The Council of State Governments'', "Lieutenant Governors and the Role of Succession,"  July 1, 2011] </ref>


*27 lieutenant governors serve as [[President of the Senate]]. 23 have the power to break roll-call ties.
*27 lieutenant governors serve as [[President of the Senate]]. 24 have the power to break roll-call ties.
*11 lieutenant governors appoint committees.
*11 lieutenant governors appoint committees.
*8 lieutenant governors have the power to assign bills. With the exception of [[Vermont]], all of these are in southern states.
*9 lieutenant governors have the power to assign bills.
*Governors in 25 states have the authority to assign duties to the lieutenant governor. In 23 states, the lieutenant governor serves as a member of the governor’s cabinet or advisory body.
*Governors in 26 states have the authority to assign duties to the lieutenant governor. In 26 states, the lieutenant governor serves as a member of the governor’s cabinet or advisory body.
*33 lieutenant governors serve as acting governor when the governor is out of the state.
*29 lieutenant governors serve as acting the governor when the governor is out of the state.


==See also==
==See also==
* [[State executive officials]]
* [[State executive officials]]
* [[Lieutenant Governor]]
* [[Lieutenant Governor]]
===Other comparison articles===
* [[Gubernatorial Power Comparison, 2012]]
* [[Attorney General office comparison]]
* [[Secretary of State office comparison]]


==External links==
==External links==
{{submit a link}}
{{submit a link}}
*[http://www.nlga.us/ National Lieutenant Governor's Association]
*[http://www.nlga.us/ National Lieutenant Governor's Association]
*[http://knowledgecenter.csg.org/drupal/content/constant-evolution-office-lieutenant-governor ''The Council of State Governments,'' "The Constant Evolution of the Office of Lieutenant Governor,"  July 1, 2011]
*[https://bookofthestates.org/ Council of State Governments - Book of States]
*[http://knowledgecenter.csg.org/drupal/content/office-lieutenant-governor-bedrock-principle ''The Council of State Governments,'' "The Office of Lieutenant Governor: A Bedrock Principle," July 2, 2012]


==Footnotes==
==Footnotes==
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{{State_executive_offices}}
{{State_executive_offices}}
[[Category:Features of state executive offices]]
[[Category:Features of state executive offices]]
[[Category:One-off pages, active]]

Latest revision as of 16:47, 9 January 2024

StateExecLogo.png
State Executive Offices
Elections by Year
2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011
State Executive Analyses
Compensation
Education
Irregular office changes
Place of birth
Term limits
Trifectas and triplexes
Vacancy procedures

The office of Lieutenant Governor is an elected statewide executive office in 43 states. Two states—Tennessee and West Virginia—bestow the title of lieutenant governor on senate presidents. The five states that do not have a lieutenant governor position include Maine, Arizona, Wyoming, New Hampshire, and Oregon.

In Alaska, Hawaii, New Jersey, and Utah, the position of lieutenant governor is equivalent to that of Secretary of State.

In the majority of the states with the position, the role and duties of the lieutenant governor are similar, with the main responsibility being to act as governor if the governor is absent from the office, and to succeed a governor who dies, resigns, or is removed from office.

However, beyond that, the duties of the office are often not explicitly laid out, resulting in the position being largely shaped by the governor and the officeholder. This page compares the office from state to state, examining similarities and differences such as how they win office, term limits, authority, salary, and duties.

Current officeholders

Political parties

The chart below is a breakdown of the political parties pertaining to the state executive office of the lieutenant governor. For other state executive offices, click here.

Office Democratic Party Democratic Republican Party Republican Grey.png Independent Vacant Total seats
State Lieutanant Governors 20 25 0 0 45
Counts current as of October 2025
If you see an error, please email us

List of Current Lieutenant Governors


Office Name Party Date assumed office
Lieutenant Governor of Alabama Will Ainsworth Republican January 14, 2019
Lieutenant Governor of Alaska Nancy Dahlstrom Republican December 5, 2022
Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa Pulu Ae Ae Nonpartisan January 3, 2025
Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas Leslie Rutledge Republican January 10, 2023
Lieutenant Governor of California Eleni Kounalakis Democratic 2019
Lieutenant Governor of Colorado Dianne Primavera Democratic January 8, 2019
Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut Susan Bysiewicz Democratic January 9, 2019
Lieutenant Governor of Delaware Kyle Evans Gay Democratic January 21, 2025
Lieutenant Governor of Florida Jay Collins Republican August 12, 2025
Lieutenant Governor of Georgia Burt Jones Republican January 9, 2023
Lieutenant Governor of Guam Josh Tenorio Democratic January 7, 2019
Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii Sylvia Luke Democratic December 5, 2022
Lieutenant Governor of Idaho Scott Bedke Republican January 2, 2023
Lieutenant Governor of Illinois Juliana Stratton Democratic January 14, 2019
Lieutenant Governor of Indiana Micah Beckwith Republican January 13, 2025
Lieutenant Governor of Iowa Chris Cournoyer Republican December 16, 2024
Lieutenant Governor of Kansas David Toland Democratic January 4, 2021
Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky Jacqueline Coleman Democratic December 10, 2019
Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana Billy Nungesser Republican January 11, 2016
Lieutenant Governor of Maryland Aruna Miller Democratic January 18, 2023
Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts Kim Driscoll Democratic January 5, 2023
Lieutenant Governor of Michigan Garlin Gilchrist II Democratic January 1, 2019
Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota Peggy Flanagan Democratic January 7, 2019
Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi Delbert Hosemann Republican January 9, 2020
Lieutenant Governor of Missouri David Wasinger Republican January 13, 2025
Lieutenant Governor of Montana Kristen Juras Republican January 4, 2021
Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska Joe Kelly Republican January 5, 2023
Lieutenant Governor of Nevada Stavros Anthony Republican January 2, 2023
Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey Tahesha Way Democratic September 8, 2023
Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico Howie Morales Democratic January 1, 2019
Lieutenant Governor of New York Antonio Delgado Democratic May 25, 2022
Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina Rachel Hunt Democratic January 1, 2025
Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota Michelle Strinden Republican December 15, 2024
Lieutenant Governor of Ohio Jim Tressel Republican February 14, 2025
Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma Matt Pinnell Republican January 14, 2019
Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania Austin Davis Democratic January 17, 2023
Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island Sabina Matos Democratic April 14, 2021
Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina Pamela Evette Republican January 9, 2019
Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota Tony Venhuizen Republican January 30, 2025
Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee Randy McNally Republican January 10, 2017
Lieutenant Governor of Texas Dan Patrick Republican 2015
Lieutenant Governor of Utah Deidre Henderson Republican January 4, 2021
Lieutenant Governor of Vermont John Rodgers Republican January 9, 2025
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Winsome Earle-Sears Republican January 15, 2022
Lieutenant Governor of Washington Denny Heck Democratic January 11, 2021
Lieutenant Governor of West Virginia Randy E. Smith Republican January 8, 2025
Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin Sara Rodriguez Democratic January 2, 2023
Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands Dennis C. Mendiola Republican July 24, 2025
Lieutenant Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands Tregenza Roach Democratic January 7, 2019


Note: In Hawaii, the lieutenant governor serves concurrently as the secretary of state. In Tennessee and West Virginia, the president of the Senate also serves as lieutenant governor and is elected from within the legislature.

Five states do not have a lieutenant governor position. Those states are: Arizona, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Wyoming.


Salaries by state

See also: Comparison of lieutenant gubernatorial salaries

The following table lists the salary reported for each state's lieutenant governor in the Book of the States going back to 2010. Darker shades of grey indicate higher salaries. To rank states by lieutenant gubernatorial salary for a given year, click the header for that year.

About the office

Elected or Appointed

43 states directly elect Lt. Governors. Only two states—Tennessee and West Virginia—do not.

Only two states do not have direct elections for lieutenant governor—Tennessee and West Virginia. In both states, whoever is elected the President of the State Senate is the de facto Lieutenant Governor. In Tennessee, the full title of this individual is, "Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate." West Virginia allows the Senate President to use the title, "Lieutenant Governor."[1]

Of the 43 states that elect lieutenant governors, there are three methods by which officeholders are chosen:

Qualifications

Qualifications for the office of lieutenant governor vary widely from state to state.

Minimum age
43 states have a formal provision specifying minimum age, while two states, Kansas and Massachusetts, have no formal provision.[2]

Of the 43 states:

State Citizen
31 states have a formal provision stating a lieutenant governor must be a state citizen, while 14 do not have a formal provision. Of the 31 states, 16 specify the number of years and 15 do not.[2]

States that specify the number of years as a state citizen:

U.S. citizen
41 states have a formal provision stating a lieutenant governor must be a United States citizen, while four—Kansas, Massachusetts, North Dakota, and West Virginia—do not have a formal provision. Of the 41 states, 10 specify the number of years and 31 do not.[2]

States that specify the number of years as a United States citizen:

State Resident
43 states have a formal provision stating a lieutenant governor must be a state resident, while two—Kansas and North Dakota—do not have a formal provision. Of the 43 states, 33 specify the number of years and 10 do not.[2]

States that specify the number of years as a state resident:

Qualified Voter
30 states have a formal provision stating a lieutenant governor must be a qualified voter, while 15 do not have a formal provision. Of the 30 states, three specify the number of years and 27 do not.[2]

States that specify the number of years as a qualified voter:

Term Limits

See also: State executives with term limits

Of the 43 Lieutenant Governors, 23 have term limits, while 20 do not. The two senate presidents (Tennessee and West Virginia) who are designated as lieutenant governors do not face legislative term limits but do serve two-year terms. Of the elected lieutenant governors, all serve four-year terms except for Vermont, who serves a two-year term.[3]

Authority

All 43 elected lieutenant governors derive their authority from their state's Constitution. The majority of these were original state executive positions. Notable exceptions include:

The two states where senate presidents are given the title of lieutenant governor are unique:

  • The Tennessee Speaker of the Senate has been the successor to the Governor since the first state Constitution of 1796 but did not receive the title of lieutenant governor until the enactment of a statutory law in 1951.[7]
  • Similarly, the office of lieutenant governor of West Virginia does not exist in the state's constitution. Legislation in 2000 bestowed the title on the Senate President. In 2011, then acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (R) submitted a constitutional amendment to the legislature that would have created a new elected state executive position of lieutenant governor. It did not make it to the ballot in 2012.[8]

Attempt to abolish the office in Illinois

On April 11, 2013, the Illinois House of Representatives approved a proposal seeking to eliminate the position of lieutenant governor by constitutional amendment. For the measure to be passed, it had to win the approval of both the state Senate and Illinois voters. If the proposal was approved in a statewide public vote, the office would have remained intact for one final term following the 2014 election.[9] There have been at least 10 attempts to eliminate the office since 1970, but David McSweeney's (R) was the first to be passed by the House.[10]

Duties

The powers and duties of lieutenant governors come from a variety of sources - gubernatorial appointment, statute, the Constitution, direct democracy action, and personal initiative.[11]

  • All 43 elected lieutenant governors are the first in the line of succession to the governor's office. The two senate presidents in Tennessee and West Virginia, who are bestowed with the title of lieutenant governor, are the first in line. In the five states without lieutenant governors, the senate presidents in New Hampshire and Maine are the first, while the secretary of states in Arizona, Oregon, and Wyoming are first in line.[12]
  • 27 lieutenant governors serve as President of the Senate. 24 have the power to break roll-call ties.
  • 11 lieutenant governors appoint committees.
  • 9 lieutenant governors have the power to assign bills.
  • Governors in 26 states have the authority to assign duties to the lieutenant governor. In 26 states, the lieutenant governor serves as a member of the governor’s cabinet or advisory body.
  • 29 lieutenant governors serve as acting the governor when the governor is out of the state.

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021, Table 4.13 - Lieutenant Governors: Qualifications and Terms," accessed September 22, 2022
  3. ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021, Table 4.13 - Lieutenant Governors: Qualifications and Terms," accessed September 22, 2022
  4. ↑ Alabama Department of Archives and History, " Alabama Lieutenant Governors," accessed October 22, 2013
  5. ↑ Arkansas Lieutenant Governor, " Office History," accessed October 22, 2013
  6. ↑ Utah Department of Administrative Services, " Governor – Agency History #446," accessed October 22, 2013
  7. ↑ Lexis-Nexis, "Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-2-101," accessed December 28, 2012
  8. ↑ Register Herald, "Tomblin proposes lieutenant governor," February 22, 2011
  9. ↑ The Chicago Tribune, "House votes to eliminate lieutenant governor post," April 12, 2013
  10. ↑ Chicago Tribune, "A job nobody would miss: Illinois lieutenant governor," April 29, 2013
  11. ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021, Table 4.14 - Lieutenant Governors: Powers and Duties," accessed September 22, 2022
  12. ↑ The Council of State Governments, "Lieutenant Governors and the Role of Succession," July 1, 2011
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