Lieutenant Governors

Most states have a lieutenant governor, who becomes governor if the office is vacant and often serves as acting governor when the governor is out of the state or unable to serve. Arizona, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Wyoming have had none, with the secretary of state or the president of the state senate next in line, though Arizona voters approved creating the office in 2022, with the first lieutenant governor taking office in 2027. New Jersey created the office in 2006, and its first lieutenant governor took office in 2010. In Tennessee and West Virginia, the title belongs to the speaker of the state senate.

How lieutenant governors are chosen varies. In most states they run jointly with the governor on a ticket, much like the President and Vice President, but in others they are elected separately and can belong to a different party, producing occasional rivalries. Many lieutenant governors preside over the state senate and cast tie-breaking votes, and in states such as Texas the office is among the most powerful in state government, controlling the senate's agenda and committee assignments. In others, the role is largely ceremonial, and many governors assign their lieutenants special policy portfolios.

Lieutenant governors frequently become governor through resignations, deaths, and governors moving to federal office, and the post is a common stepping stone to the governorship by election. Reformers have argued that joint tickets prevent conflicts within the executive branch, while defenders of separate election say voters should choose each official independently. The National Lieutenant Governors Association represents the officeholders.