The lieutenant governor is the second-highest-ranking government official in 45 of the 50 U.S. states and four of the five territories. In those states and territories, it is the first in the line of succession in case of a vacancy in the office of governor (note: in Massachusetts and West Virginia, the lieutenant governor only assumes powers & duties as acting governor, not succeeding to the governorship), while in the remaining states and territories another office holds that status. Currently, 26 states elect a lieutenant governor on a ticket with the governor, while 17 states elect a lieutenant governor separately. In West Virginia, the president of the Senate, as elected by the State Senators, serves as the state's lieutenant governor. In Tennessee, the State Senators elect a Speaker of the Senate, who in turn serves as lieutenant governor. Five states do not have a lieutenant governor.
In the table below, "term ends" indicates the year the current lieutenant governor will leave office; a notation ( term limits) after the year indicates that the current lieutenant governor is ineligible to seek re-election in that year. A notation of (retiring) after the year indicates that the current lieutenant governor is leaving office that year, having not sought re-election. A notation of (defeated) indicates that the current lieutenant governor was defeated for re-election.
Democratic (3) Independent (1) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Territory | Picture | Lieutenant governor | Party | Prior office(s) held | Took office | Seat up | Chosen by [1] | ||
American Samoa ( List) |
Salo Ale | Democratic | Attorney General | Jan 3, 2021 | 2025 | Same ticket | |||
Guam ( List) |
Josh Tenorio | Democratic | No prior offices | Jan 7, 2019 | 2027 | Same ticket | |||
Northern Mariana Islands ( List) |
David Apatang | Independent | Mayor of Saipan | Jan 9, 2023 | 2027 | Same ticket | |||
United States Virgin Islands ( List) |
Tregenza Roach | Democratic | Legislature of the Virgin Islands | Jan 7, 2019 | 2027 | Same ticket |
Five states do not have a position of an official lieutenant governor. In these cases, the secretary of state or the president of the Senate is next in line for the governorship.
Democratic (3) Republican (2) | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
State | Office | Picture | Officeholder | Party | Prior office(s) held | Took position | ||||
Arizona
[Note 1] ( List) |
Secretary of State | Adrian Fontes | Democratic | County Recorder of Maricopa County | Jan 2, 2023 | |||||
Maine ( List) |
President of the Senate | Troy Jackson | Democratic | Maine Senate | Dec 5, 2018 | |||||
New Hampshire ( List) |
President of the Senate | Jeb Bradley | Republican |
New Hampshire Senate U.S. House New Hampshire House of Representatives |
Dec 7, 2022 | |||||
Oregon ( List) |
Secretary of State [Note 2] | Tobias Read [Note 2] | Democratic | Oregon House | Jan 3, 2017 | |||||
Wyoming ( List) |
Secretary of State | Chuck Gray | Republican | Wyoming House of Representatives | Jan 2, 2023 |
One territory, Puerto Rico, places the secretary of state next in line for the governorship. In the District of Columbia, the chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia is first in line of succession in the event of a vacancy in the office of mayor of the District of Columbia.
Democratic (1) New Progressive (1) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Federal district or territory |
Office | Picture | Officeholder | Party | Prior Offices Held | Took position | |||
District of Columbia ( List) |
Chairman of the Council | Phil Mendelson [5] | Democratic |
DC Councilman Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner |
Jun 13, 2012 | ||||
Puerto Rico ( List) |
Secretary of State | Omar J. Marrero | New Progressive | No prior offices | Jul 12, 2021 |
In most states or territories, the governor and lieutenant governor are members of the same political party. In the following states, the designated successor to the governorship is of a different political party than the governor:
State or territory |
Governor | Designated successor |
---|---|---|
North Carolina | Democratic | Republican |
Vermont | Republican | Progressive |
The lieutenant governor is the second-highest-ranking government official in 45 of the 50 U.S. states and four of the five territories. In those states and territories, it is the first in the line of succession in case of a vacancy in the office of governor (note: in Massachusetts and West Virginia, the lieutenant governor only assumes powers & duties as acting governor, not succeeding to the governorship), while in the remaining states and territories another office holds that status. Currently, 26 states elect a lieutenant governor on a ticket with the governor, while 17 states elect a lieutenant governor separately. In West Virginia, the president of the Senate, as elected by the State Senators, serves as the state's lieutenant governor. In Tennessee, the State Senators elect a Speaker of the Senate, who in turn serves as lieutenant governor. Five states do not have a lieutenant governor.
In the table below, "term ends" indicates the year the current lieutenant governor will leave office; a notation ( term limits) after the year indicates that the current lieutenant governor is ineligible to seek re-election in that year. A notation of (retiring) after the year indicates that the current lieutenant governor is leaving office that year, having not sought re-election. A notation of (defeated) indicates that the current lieutenant governor was defeated for re-election.
Democratic (3) Independent (1) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Territory | Picture | Lieutenant governor | Party | Prior office(s) held | Took office | Seat up | Chosen by [1] | ||
American Samoa ( List) |
Salo Ale | Democratic | Attorney General | Jan 3, 2021 | 2025 | Same ticket | |||
Guam ( List) |
Josh Tenorio | Democratic | No prior offices | Jan 7, 2019 | 2027 | Same ticket | |||
Northern Mariana Islands ( List) |
David Apatang | Independent | Mayor of Saipan | Jan 9, 2023 | 2027 | Same ticket | |||
United States Virgin Islands ( List) |
Tregenza Roach | Democratic | Legislature of the Virgin Islands | Jan 7, 2019 | 2027 | Same ticket |
Five states do not have a position of an official lieutenant governor. In these cases, the secretary of state or the president of the Senate is next in line for the governorship.
Democratic (3) Republican (2) | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
State | Office | Picture | Officeholder | Party | Prior office(s) held | Took position | ||||
Arizona
[Note 1] ( List) |
Secretary of State | Adrian Fontes | Democratic | County Recorder of Maricopa County | Jan 2, 2023 | |||||
Maine ( List) |
President of the Senate | Troy Jackson | Democratic | Maine Senate | Dec 5, 2018 | |||||
New Hampshire ( List) |
President of the Senate | Jeb Bradley | Republican |
New Hampshire Senate U.S. House New Hampshire House of Representatives |
Dec 7, 2022 | |||||
Oregon ( List) |
Secretary of State [Note 2] | Tobias Read [Note 2] | Democratic | Oregon House | Jan 3, 2017 | |||||
Wyoming ( List) |
Secretary of State | Chuck Gray | Republican | Wyoming House of Representatives | Jan 2, 2023 |
One territory, Puerto Rico, places the secretary of state next in line for the governorship. In the District of Columbia, the chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia is first in line of succession in the event of a vacancy in the office of mayor of the District of Columbia.
Democratic (1) New Progressive (1) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Federal district or territory |
Office | Picture | Officeholder | Party | Prior Offices Held | Took position | |||
District of Columbia ( List) |
Chairman of the Council | Phil Mendelson [5] | Democratic |
DC Councilman Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner |
Jun 13, 2012 | ||||
Puerto Rico ( List) |
Secretary of State | Omar J. Marrero | New Progressive | No prior offices | Jul 12, 2021 |
In most states or territories, the governor and lieutenant governor are members of the same political party. In the following states, the designated successor to the governorship is of a different political party than the governor:
State or territory |
Governor | Designated successor |
---|---|---|
North Carolina | Democratic | Republican |
Vermont | Republican | Progressive |