Lieutenant governor

A Lieutenant Governor is a government official who is the subordinate or deputy of a Governor or Governor-General. In India this position is slightly different.

United States

In the United States, this office is usually the second-highest executive office in a state and is nominally subordinate to the Governor. The procedure for election of Lieutenant Governor varies from state to state with some states having the Governor and Lieutenant Governor elected as running mates on a joint ticket, while in others the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor run separately, sometimes in different election cycles. The latter can cause the Governor and Lieutenant Governor to be from different parties and bitter political rivals (such as is often the case in California and Virginia, among other states). The office of Lieutenant Governor existed in all of the 17th- and 18th-century British colonies that later became the initial thirteen United States of America. The defining difference between the Lieutenant Governor and the Royal Governor, was that the Lieutenant Governor would be required to live in the colony which he was appointed to. Also, the Royal Governor would be paid directly by the crown, where as the Lieutenant Governor would be paid by the colonial treasury.

Related Topics:
United States - State - Governor - Running mate - California - Virginia

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In the U.S., the main duty of the Lieutenant Governor is to act as Governor should the Governor be temporarily absent from the office. In addition, the Lieutenant Governor generally succeeds a Governor who dies or resigns. In most states, the Lieutenant Governor then becomes Governor, with the title and its associated salary, office, and privileges. In a few states, like Massachusetts, the Lieutenant Governor instead becomes "Acting Governor" until a new Governor can be elected.

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Other than this primary constitutional duty, most state constitutions do not prescribe the duties of the Lieutenant Governor in detail.

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• In a few states such as Hawaii, the position of Lieutenant Governor is equivalent to that of Secretary of State.
• In some states the Lieutenant Governor is the chairman of the upper house of the legislature. In the state of Texas, the Lieutenant Governor, elected separately from the Governor, chairs the state senate and by convention and legislative rule has a great deal more influence on the legislation than the Governor. Thus, when a Lieutenant Governor of Texas becomes Governor, they assume a higher office, but lose some of their previous authority. In the state of Tennessee, the Lieutenant Governor is chosen by the state Senate. John S. Wilder was elected to that post in 1971, which he still holds. As of 2004, he is both the longest-serving and oldest Lieutenant Governor in the United States.

Some states, such as New Jersey and Maine, do not have a Lieutenant Governor. In both states the President of the state Senate assumes the office of Governor upon a vacancy. In November 2005, New Jersey voters will decide on a constitutional amendment to create the office.

Related Topics:
New Jersey - Maine

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Arizona, New Hampshire, Oregon, West Virginia and Wyoming also do not have Lieutenant Governors. Even as the West Virginia Constitution establishes no such office, signage in Senate, the legislative guide, and the official website of the West Virginia Legislature style the Senate President as Lieutenant Governor.

Related Topics:
Arizona - New Hampshire - Oregon - West Virginia - Wyoming - West Virginia Constitution - West Virginia Legislature

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