The current lieutenant governor of Rhode Island is Sabina Matos, who was sworn in on April 14, 2021, after Daniel McKee succeeded to the office of governor. The first lieutenant governor was George Brown.

In Rhode Island, the lieutenant governor and governor of Rhode Island are elected on separate tickets.

Seven lieutenant governors have served during a vacancy in the office of governor under the current 1842 constitution: Francis M. Dimond (1853), William C. Cozzens (1863), Charles D. Kimball (1901), Norman Case (1928), John Pastore (1945), and John S. McKiernan (1950).

Deputy governors of the Colony of Rhode Island

William Brenton, of Newport; November 1663 – 2 May 1666 Nicholas Easton, of Newport; 2 May 1666 – 5 May 1669 John Clarke, of Newport; 5 May 1669 – 4 May 1670 Nicholas Easton, of Newport; 4 May 1670 – 3 May 1671 John Clarke, of Newport; 3 May 1671 – 1 May 1672 John Cranston, of Newport; 1 May 1672 – 7 May 1673 William Coddington, of Newport; 7 May 1673 – 6 May 1674 John Easton, of Newport; 6 May 1674 – April 1676 John Cranston, of Newport; 3 May 1676 – 8 November 1678 (became governor) James Barker, of Newport; 8 November 1678 – 7 May 1679 Walter Clarke, of Newport; 7 May 1679 – 5 May 1686 John Coggeshall, Jr., of Newport; 5 May 1686 – June 1686

The Royal Charter was suspended from 1686 until 1689. John Coggeshall, Jr., of Newport; 18 April 1689 – 7 May 1690 John Greene, Jr., of Warwick; 7 May 1690 – May 1, 1700 Walter Clarke, of Newport; May 1, 1700 – May 23, 1714 (died in office) Henry Tew, of Newport; June 15, 1714 – May 3, 1715 Joseph Jenckes, of Providence; May 3, 1715 – May 3, 1721 John Wanton, of Newport; May 3, 1721 – May 2, 1722 Joseph Jenckes, of Providence; May 2, 1722 – May 3, 1727 Jonathan Nichols, of Newport; May 3, 1727 – August 2, 1727 (died in office) Thomas Frye, of East Greenwich; August 22, 1727 – May 7, 1729 John Wanton, of Newport; May 7, 1729 – May 5, 1734 George Hazard, of S. Kingstown; May 5, 1734 – before May 22, 1738 (died in office) Daniel Abbott, of Providence; July 5, 1738 – May 1, 1740 Richard Ward, of Newport; May 1, 1740 – July 15, 1740 (became governor) William Greene, of Newport; July 15, 1740 – May 4, 1743 Joseph Whipple, Jr., of Newport; May 4, 1743 – May 1, 1745 William Robinson, of S. Kingstown; May 1, 1745 – May 7, 1746 Joseph Whipple, Jr., of Newport; May 7, 1746 – May 6, 1747 William Robinson, of S. Kingstown; May 6, 1747 – May 4, 1748 William Ellery, Sr., of Newport; May 4, 1748 – May 2, 1750 Robert Hazard, of S. Kingstown; May 2, 1750 – May 1, 1751 Joseph Whipple, III, of Newport; May 1, 1751 – November 2, 1753 (resigned) Jonathan Nichols, Jr., of Newport; November 2, 1753 – May 1, 1754 John Gardner, of Newport; May 1, 1754 – May 7, 1755 Jonathan Nichols, Jr., of Newport; May 7, 1755 – September 1756 (died in office) John Gardner, of Newport; September 6, 1756 – January 1764 (died in office) Joseph Wanton, Jr., of Newport; February 27, 1764 – May 1, 1765 Elisha Brown, of N. Providence; May 1, 1765 – May 6, 1767 Joseph Wanton, Jr., of Newport; May 6, 1767 – May 4, 1768 Nicholas Cooke, of Providence; May 4, 1768 – May 3, 1769 Darius Sessions, of Providence; May 3, 1769 – May 3, 1775 Nicholas Cooke, of Providence; May 3, 1775 – November 7, 1775 (became governor) William Bradford, of Bristol; November 7, 1775 – May 6, 1778

Deputy and lieutenant governors of the State of Rhode Island

Image Name Party Term start Term end Residence William Bradford Nov. 1775 May 1778 Bristol Jabez Bowen May 1778 May 1780 Providence William West May 1780 May 1781 Scituate Jabez Bowen May 1781 May 1786 Providence Daniel Owen May 1786 May 1790 Glocester Samuel J. Potter May 1790 Feb. 1799 S. Kingstown

The title of the office was changed to Lieutenant Governor in 1798. Image Name Party Term start Term end Residence Governor(s) served under George Brown 1799 1800 S. Kingstown Arthur Fenner Samuel J. Potter 1800 1803 S. Kingstown Arthur Fenner Paul Mumford 1803 1805 Newport Arthur Fenner Isaac Wilbour 1806 1807 Little Compton Isaac Wilbour Constant Taber 1807 1808 Newport James Fenner Simeon Martin Federalist 1808 1810 Newport James Fenner Isaac Wilbour Democratic-Republican 1810 1811 Little Compton James Fenner Simeon Martin Federalist 1811 1816 Newport William Jones Jeremiah Thurston Federalist 1816 1817 Hopkinton William Jones Edward Wilcox Democratic-Republican 1817 1821 Charlestown Nehemiah R. Knight Caleb Earle Democratic-Republican 1821 1824 Providence William C. Gibbs Charles Collins 1824 1833 Newport James FennerLemuel H. Arnold Jeffrey Hazard Democratic 1833 1835 Exeter John B. Francis George Engs Whig 1835 1836 Newport John B. Francis Jeffrey Hazard Democratic 1836 1837 Exeter John B. Francis Benjamin Babock Thurston Democratic 1837 1838 Hopkinton John B. Francis Joseph Childs Whig 1838 1839 Portsmouth William Sprague III Byron Diman Whig 1840 1842 Bristol Samuel Ward King Nathaniel Bullock 1842 1843 Bristol Samuel Ward King

Lieutenant governors under the constitution, 1843–present No. Image Name Party Term start Term end Governor(s) served under Residence 1 Byron Diman Law & Order 1843 1846 James FennerCharles Jackson Bristol 2 Elisha Harris Whig 1846 1847 Byron Diman Coventry 3 Edward W. Lawton Whig 1847 1849 Elisha Harris Newport 4 Thomas Whipple Whig 1849 1851 Henry B. Anthony Coventry 5 William Beach Lawrence Democratic 1851 1852 Philip Allen Newport 6 Samuel G. Arnold Whig 1852 1853 Philip Allen Providence 7 Francis M. Dimond Democratic 1853 1854 himself Bristol 8 John J. Reynolds Whig 1854 1855 William W. Hoppin N. Kingstown 9 Anderson C. Rose American 1855 1856 William W. Hoppin New Shoreham 10 Nicholas Brown III American 1856 1857 William W. Hoppin Warwick 11 Thomas G. Turner Republican 1857 1859 Elisha Dyer Warren 12 Isaac Saunders American Republican 1859 1860 Thomas G. Turner Scituate 13 J. Russell Bullock Democratic 1860 1861 William Sprague IV Bristol 14 Samuel G. Arnold Democratic & Constitutional Unionist 1861 1862 William Sprague IV Providence 15 Seth Padelford Republican 1863 1865 William C. CozzensJames Y. Smith Providence 16 Duncan Pell 1865 1866 James Y. Smith Newport 17 William Greene Republican 1866 1868 Ambrose Everett Burnside Warwick 18 Pardon Stevens Republican 1868 1872 Ambrose Everett BurnsideSeth Padelford Newport 19 Charles Cutler Democratic 1872 1873 Seth Padelford Warren 20 Charles C. Van Zandt Republican 1873 1875 Henry Howard Newport 21 Henry Tillinghast Sisson Republican 1875 1877 Henry Lippitt Little Compton 22 Albert Howard Republican 1877 1880 Charles C. Van Zandt E. Providence 23 Henry Fay Republican 1880 1883 Alfred H. Littlefield Newport 24 Oscar Rathbun Republican 1883 1885 Augustus O. Bourn Woonsocket 25 Lucius B. Darling Republican 1885 1887 George P. Wetmore Pawtucket 26 Samuel R. Honey Democratic 1887 1888 John W. Davis Newport 27 Enos Lapham Republican 1888 1889 Royal C. Taft Warwick 28 Daniel Littlefield Republican 1889 1890 Herbert W. Ladd Central Falls 29 William T. C. Wardwell Democratic 1890 1891 John W. Davis Bristol 30 Henry A. Stearns Republican 1891 1892 Herbert W. Ladd Lincoln 31 Melville Bull Republican 1892 1894 D. Russell Brown Middletown 32 Edwin Allen Republican 1894 1897 D. Russell BrownCharles W. Lippitt Hopkinton 33 Aram J. Pothier Republican 1897 1898 Elisha Dyer, Jr. Woonsocket 34 William Gregory Republican 1898 1900 Elisha Dyer, Jr. N. Kingstown 35 Charles D. Kimball Republican 1900 1901 William Gregory Providence 36 George L. Shepley Republican 1902 1903 Charles D. Kimball Providence 37 Adelard Archambault Democratic 1903 1904 Lucius F. C. Garvin Woonsocket 38 George H. Utter Republican 1904 1905 Lucius F. C. Garvin Westerly 39 Frederick H. Jackson Republican 1905 1908 George H. Utter Providence 40 Ralph Watrous Republican 1908 1909 James H. Higgins Warwick 41 Arthur W. Dennis Republican 1909 1910 Aram J. Pothier Providence 42 Zenas Work Bliss Republican 1910 1913 Aram J. Pothier Cranston 43 Roswell B. Burchard Republican 1913 1915 Aram J. Pothier L. Compton 44 Emery J. San Souci Republican 1915 1921 R. Livingston Beeckman Providence 45 Harold Gross Republican 1921 1923 Emery J. San Souci Providence 46 Felix A. Toupin Democratic 1923 1925 William S. Flynn Lincoln 47 Nathaniel W. Smith Republican 1925 1927 Aram J. Pothier S. Kingstown 48 Norman S. Case Republican 1927 1928 Aram J. Pothier Providence 49 James G. Connolly Republican 1929 1933 Norman S. Case Pawtucket 50 Robert E. Quinn Democratic 1933 1937 Theodore Francis Green W. Warwick 51 Raymond E. Jordan Democratic 1937 1939 Robert E. Quinn Pawtucket 52 James O. McManus Republican 1939 1941 William Henry Vanderbilt III W. Warwick 53 Louis W. Cappelli Democratic 1941 1944 J. Howard McGrath Providence 54 John O. Pastore Democratic 1945 1945 J. Howard McGrath Providence 55 John S. McKiernan Democratic 1945 1957 John PastorehimselfDennis J. Roberts Providence 56 Armand H. Cote Democratic 1957 1959 Dennis J. Roberts Pawtucket 57 John A. Notte, Jr. Democratic 1959 1961 Christopher Del Sesto Providence 58 Edward P. Gallogly Democratic 1961 1965 John A. Notte Jr.John Chafee Providence 59 Giovanni Folcarelli Democratic 1965 1967 John Chafee Scituate 60 Joseph O'Donnell, Jr. Republican 1967 1969 John Chafee N. Smithfield 61 J. Joseph Garrahy Democratic 1969 1977 Frank LichtPhilip Noel Providence 62 Thomas R. DiLuglio Democratic 1977 1985 J. Joseph Garrahy Johnston 63 Richard A. Licht Democratic 1985 1989 Edward D. DiPrete Providence 64 Roger N. Begin Democratic 1989 1993 Edward D. DiPreteBruce Sundlun Woonsocket 65 Robert Weygand Democratic 1993 1997 Bruce SundlunLincoln Almond E. Providence 66 Bernard Jackvony Republican 1997 1999 Lincoln Almond E. Greenwich 67 Charles Fogarty Democratic 1999 2007 Lincoln AlmondDonald Carcieri Glocester 68 Elizabeth H. Roberts Democratic 2007 2015 Donald CarcieriLincoln Chafee Cranston 69 Dan McKee Democratic 2015 2021 Gina Raimondo Cumberland 70 Sabina Matos Democratic 2021 present Daniel McKee Providence

Unusual candidacies During the 2010 elections, the Cool Moose Party of Rhode Island submitted Bob Healey as candidate for lieutenant governor. He ran on the proposition that he would attempt to abolish the office of lieutenant governor itself.

References