List of current United States lieutenant governors
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a complete and current list of lieutenant governors of U.S. states.
Currently, 23 states elect a lieutenant governor on a ticket with the governor, 19 states elect a lieutenant governor separately. In one state, Tennessee, the state Senate chooses. Seven states have no lieutenant governor, though New Jersey will elect one for the first time in 2009. There are currently 27 Democrats and 23 Republicans serving as lieutenant governors or serving as the first in the line of succession in the United States.
Contents |
[edit] List of Lieutenant Governors by State
In the table below, Term ends indicates the year the current lieutenant governor will leave office, or the year of the next election, whichever is first; a dagger (†) after the year indicates that the current lieutenant governor is ineligible to seek re-election in that year due to term limits.
| Picture | Lieutenant Governor | U.S. Territories | Party | Assumed office |
Term ends |
Chosen by[11] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Ipulasi Aitofele Sunia | American Samoa | Democratic | 2003 | 2012 | Same ticket |
 |
Michael W. Cruz | Guam | Republican | 2007 | 2010 | Same ticket |
| Eloy Inos | Northern Mariana Islands | Covenant | 2009 | 2009 | Same ticket[12] | |
| Gregory Francis | United States Virgin Islands | Democratic | 2007 | 2010 | Same ticket |
[edit] States without Lieutenant Governors
Some states and territories do not have lieutenant governors. Instead, the Secretary of State, Attorney General or Senate President of that state are next in line for the Governorship. Other states have the position of lieutenant governor, but the position is currently vacant either because the lieutenant governor is filling in the vacancy in the governorship, or for any other reason.
The states and territories without a lieutenant governor are:
| Picture | Current second in line | Position of Lt. Gov | State | Party | Assumed office |
Seat Up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attorney General Terry Goddard | Does not exist[13] | Arizona | Democratic | 2003 | 2010 | |
 |
Attorney General Lisa Madigan | Currently vacant[4] | Illinois | Democrat | 2003 | 2010 |
| Senate President Elizabeth Mitchell | Does not exist | Maine | Democratic | 2004 | 2010 | |
| Senate President Sylvia Larsen | Does not exist | New Hampshire | Democratic | 2006 | 2010 | |
 |
Senate President Richard Codey | Does not exist[14] | New Jersey | Democratic | 2003 | 2009 |
| Temporary President of the Senate (disputed)[8] | Currently vacant | New York | 2009 | 2010 | ||
 |
Secretary of State Kate Brown | Does not exist | Oregon | Democratic | 2008 | 2012 |
| Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin | Does not exist | West Virginia | Democratic | 1995 | 2010 | |
| Secretary of State Max Maxfield | Does not exist | Wyoming | Republican | 2006 | 2010 |
| Picture | Current second in line | Position of Lt. Gov | U.S. Territory | Party | Assumed office |
Seat Up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Secretary of State Kenneth McClintock | Does not exist | Puerto Rico | NPP/Democratic | 2009 | 2012 |
[edit] States and territories with differing party membership at the executive level
In most states and territories, the governor and lieutenant governor are members of the same political party. As with the Vice President of the United States, many states' lieutenant governors are elected on the same ticket as the governor, many others are elected on their own. The following states are those in which the designated successor to the Governorship is of a different political party (or the position is vacant).
| State | Governor | Designated successor |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Republican | Democratic |
| Arizona | Republican | Democratic |
| California | Republican | Democratic |
| Louisiana | Republican | Democratic |
| Missouri | Democratic | Republican |
| Montana | Democratic | Republican |
| Pennsylvania | Democratic | Republican |
| Rhode Island | Republican | Democratic |
| Tennessee | Democratic | Republican |
| Virginia | Democratic | Republican |
| Wyoming | Democratic | Republican |
[edit] References
- ^ Executive Branch of the Several States
- ^ Although in practice the candidate for Lieutenant Governor is nominated as a ticket with the candidate for Governor, the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor are voted on separately in Delaware. In 1972 and 1984, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor were elected from different parties.
- ^ Idaho Lt. Governor Brad Little was appointed by Governor Butch Otter, approved by the Senate and sworn in to the office on January 12, 2009 upon the resignation of Jim Risch.
- ^ a b The Lieutenant Governorship in Illinois is currently vacant due to the elevation of Pat Quinn to the Governorship after the impeachment and removal from office of Rod Blagojevich. The Illinois Constitution states that the Lieutenant Governorship will remain vacant until the next election and that the Attorney General becomes the next in the line of succession. That position is currently held by Lisa Madigan.
- ^ Kansas Lt. Governor Troy Findley was appointed by Governor Mark Parkinson, approved by the Senate and sworn in to the office on May 15, 2009 upon the elevation of Parkinson after the resignation of Kathleen Sebelius.
- ^ http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2006&fips=25&off=5&f=0
- ^ Montana's John Bohlinger is a Republican elected on the same ticket as Democrat Brian Schweitzer.
- ^ a b The Lieutenant Governorship in New York is currently vacant due to the elevation of David Paterson to the Governorship after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer. The New York State Constitution states that the "Temporary President of the Senate" will fulfill the duties of Lieutenant Governor when the office is vacant. That position is currently disputed. Pedro Espada Jr. was elected to the post in a parliamentary coup on June 8, 2009, but previous leader Malcolm Smith has disputed the legality of the vote and insists he still holds the post.
- ^ Pennsylvania Lt. Governor Joe Scarnati ascended to the office upon the death of Governor Ed Rendell's original runningmate Catherine Baker Knoll on November 12, 2008.
- ^ Tennessee's state Senate elects the Speaker of the Senate who serves as Lieutenant Governor. The full title of the office is Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate.
- ^ Executive Branch of the Several States
- ^ Northern Mariana Islands Lt. Governor Eloy Inos was appointed by Governor Benigno Fitial, approved by the Senate and sworn in to the office on May 1, 2009 upon the resignation of Timothy P. Villagomez.
- ^ Normally, the Arizona Secretary of State is second in line of succession, but because the current Secretary of state was appointed rather than elected, the current second in line of succession is the Attorney General. See McClay, Bob (January 21, 2009). "Bennett prepares to take over as secretary of state". http://ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=1029277.
- ^ Effective November 2009, New Jersey will have a lieutenant governor
- ^ Executive Branch of the Several States
