THE COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTS | JULY 2011

THE BOOK OF THE STATES 2011 Facts & Figures

THE OFFICE OF LIEUTENANT

Lieutenant are often the  rst in line of succession when a Lieutenant governors are selected through the election process.3 governor leaves o ce in the middle of a term. But that’s not always the case.1  Thirty states and territories elect the governor and lieutenant governor as a team in the general election, while 19 states and-  Forty-three states and territories include an offi ce of lieuten- territories elect the offi cials separately. ant governor, who is fi rst in line of succession to the governor’s  In 46 states and territories, the lieutenant governor serves a offi ce. four-year term; three lieutenant governors—in , Ver-  In four states, senate presidents are the fi rst in line of succession mont and —serve only two years. to the governor’s offi ce.  The general public of 47 states and territories elect the lieuten- » Two of those states—Tennessee and West Virginia—bestow ant governor, either by constitutional or statutory authority. the title of lieutenant governor in recognition of that function.  In Tennessee and West Virginia, where the title of lieutenant » In the other two states—New Hampshire and Maine—the governor is bestowed on the senate president, the senate elects senate president is first in line of succession but does not this leader to a two-year term. carry the title of lieutenant governor.  The secretary of state in three states—Arizona, Oregon and States set di‡ ering requirements for service in the o ce of lieuten- Wyoming—and Puerto Rico move to the governor’s offi ce when ant governor. there’s a vacancy.  Every state and territory sets a minimum age for serving as Lieutenant governors may obtain duties through gubernatorial lieutenant governor. appointment, statute, the Constitution, direct democracy action or » In 31 states, the minimum age of service is 30. personal initiative.2 » Six states require the officeholder to be 25. » Six others set the age limit at 18.  Twenty-seven lieutenant governors preside over the state senate. » Oklahoma’s lieutenant governor must be at least 31; South  Eleven lieutenant governors appoint committees. Dakota requires the officeholder to be 25; and American Sa-  Twenty-three lieutenant governors are called on to break roll- moa and Northern Mariana Islands set the minimum age at 35. call ties.  Forty-seven states and territories include a formal provision  Seven Southern lieutenant governors—in Alabama, Georgia, that the lieutenant governor be a resident of that state or terri- Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Vir- tory, ranging in duration from one year in Minnesota and West ginia—and the Vermont lieutenant governor have the power to Virginia to 10 years in Missouri. assign bills. The president of the Tennessee Senate also has the » Twelve of those states do not specify the number of years the title of lieutenant governor. lieutenant governor must be a resident of that state.  In 24 states, the governor has the authority to assign duties to » Two states—Kansas and North Dakota—have no formal the lieutenant governor. In 22 states, the lieutenant governor is provision on state residency. a member of the governor’s cabinet or advisory body.  Thirty-six lieutenant governors serve as acting governor when 1 the state’s leader is out of the state. Julia Nienaber Hurst, “Lieutenant Governors: Signi cant and Visible,” in The Book of the States 2006, ed. Keon S. Chi, 181-183. Lexington: The Council of State Governments, 2006. 2"Lieutenant Governors: Quali cations and Terms," in The Book of the States 2010, ed. Audrey Wall, 231-233. Lexington: The Council of State Governments, 2010. 3"The Lieutenant Governors, 2011," in The Book of the States 2011, ed. Audrey Wall, 165-166. Lexington: The Council of State Governments, 2011. 4"Lieutenant Governors: Quali cations and Terms," 231-233.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.CSG.ORG/BOOKOFTHESTATES  A PRODUCT OF CAPITOL RESEARCH THE COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTS State Succession of Powers Order of Succession State Alabama Governor Lieutenant Governor President Pro Tempore of the Senate of the House of Representatives Alaska Governor Lieutenant Governor American Samoa Governor Lieutenant Governor President of the Senate Speaker of the House Arizona Governor Secretary of State Attorney General State Treasurer Arkansas Governor Lieutenant Governor President of the Senate Speaker of the Assembly California Governor Lieutenant Governor President pro Tempore of the Senate Speaker of the Assembly President of the Senate (who is a The Speaker of the House (who is a Colorado Governor Lieutenant Governor member of the same party of the Governor) member of the same party of the Governor) Commonwealth of Northern Governor Lieutenant Governor President of the Senate Speaker of the House Marianas Islands Connecticut Governor Lieutenant Governor President Pro Tempore of the Senate Delaware Governor Lieutenant Governor Secretary of State Attorney General Chairman of DC District of Mayor Columbia Council Florida Governor Lieutenant Governor Attorney General Chief Financial O cer Georgia Governor Lieutenant Governor Guam Governor Lieutenant Governor Speaking or Acting Speaker of Guam Legislature Hawaii Governor Lieutenant Governor President of the Senate Speaker of the House of Representatives Idaho Governor Lieutenant Governor President Pro Tempore of the Senate Illinois Governor Lieutenant Governor Attorney General Secretary of State Indiana Governor Lieutenant Governor The Speaker of the House of Representatives The President Pro Tempore of the Senate Iowa Governor Lieutenant Governor President of the Senate Speaker of the House of Representatives Kansas Governor Lieutenant Governor President of the Senate The Speaker of the House of Representatives Governor Lieutenant Governor President of the Senate (if the Senate is in session) Attorney General (if the Senate is not in session) Louisiana Governor Lieutenant Governor Attorney General Treasurer Maine Governor Senate President Speaker of the House of Representatives Secretary of State Maryland Governor Lieutenant Governor Governor Lieutenant Governor Secretary of State Attorney General Michigan Governor Lieutenant Governor Secretary of State Attorney General Minnesota Governor Lieutenant Governor President Pro Tempore of the Senate Speaker of the House of Representatives Mississippi Governor Lieutenant Governor President of the Senate Pro Tempore Speaker of the House of Representatives Missouri Governor Lieutenant Governor President Pro Tempore of the Senate Speaker of the House Montana Governor Lieutenant Governor President of the Senate Speaker of the House Nebraska Governor Lieutenant Governor Speaker of the Legislature Nevada Governor Lieutenant Governor President Pro Tempore of the Senate Speaker of the Assembly New Hampshire Governor Senate President Speaker of the House Secretary of State Governor Lieutenant Governor President of the Senate Speaker of the General Assembly New Mexico Governor Lieutenant Governor Secretary of State President Pro Tempore of the Senate New York Governor Lieutenant Governor President of the Senate Speaker of the Assembly North Carolina Governor Lieutenant Governor Senate President Pro Tempore Speaker of the House North Dakota Governor Lieutenant Governor Secretary of State Ohio Governor Lieutenant Governor President of the Senate Speaker of the House of Representatives Oklahoma Governor Lieutenant Governor President pro tempore of the Senate Speaker of the House of Representatives Oregon Governor Secretary of State State Treasurer President of the Senate Pennsylvania Governor Lieutenant Governor President pro tempore of the Senate Puerto Rico Governor Secretary of State Secretary of Justice Secretary of Treasurer Governor Lieutenant Governor The Speaker of the House of Representatives South Carolina Governor Lieutenant Governor President Pro Tempore of the Senate Speaker of the House of Representatives South Dakota Governor Lieutenant Governor Speaker of the Tennessee Governor Senate/Lieutenant Speaker of the House Secretary of State Governor Texas Governor Lieutenant Governor President Pro Tempore of the Senate The Speaker of the House of Representatives U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Lieutenant Governor Commissioner of Finance Attorney General Utah Governor Lieutenant Governor President of the Senate Speaker of the House of Representatives Vermont Governor Lieutenant Governor Speaker of the House of Representatives President Pro Tempore of the Senate Virginia Governor Lieutenant Governor Attorney General Speaker of the House of Delegates Washington Governor Lieutenant Governor Secretary of State Treasurer Acting President of West Virginia Governor the Senate Speaker of the House of Delegates Wisconsin Governor Lieutenant Governor Secretary of State Wyoming Governor Secretary of State

"Table A: State Succession of Powers," in The Book of the States 2011, ed. Audrey Wall, 160-164. Lexington: The Council of State Governments, 2011.

THE COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTS Mary Branham, CSG Managing Editor for Print and Multimedia | [email protected]  A PRODUCT OF CAPITOL RESEARCH