President pro tempore (often shortened to pro tem) of the Texas Senate is a largely honorary position, and is third in the line for the governorship of Texas. If the governor and lieutenant governor are both out of the state, the president pro is acting governor in their absence.
At the beginning of each session, the Senate elects one member to serve as the president pro tempore when the lieutenant governor is absent or that office becomes vacant. A different member of the Senate (usually a senior member, but unlike in some bodies, it is not based on seniority) is elected at the end of the session to serve as president pro tempore during the interim when the state legislature is not in session. The Senate traditionally honors presidents pro tempore once during their term by having the governor and lieutenant governor leave the state on the same day and inaugurating the president pro tempore as governor for a day.
The president pro tempore does not preside over the chamber on a daily basis. Usually, Texas's lieutenant governor regularly presides over the chamber as president of the state senate.
Presidents pro tempore of the Texas Senate NamePartyLegislativesessionsEdward BurlesonDemocratic1st, 2nd, 3rdJesse GrimesDemocratic4thM. D. K. TaylorDemocratic5thJesse GrimesDemocratic6thM. D. K. TaylorDemocratic7thSamuel MaverickDemocratic7thJesse GrimesDemocratic8thRobert Henry GuinnDemocratic9th, 10th, 11thDonald CampbellRepublican12thDavid Webster FlanaganRepublican12thEdward Bradford PickettDemocratic13thJohn IrelandDemocratic14thWells ThompsonDemocratic15thEdwin HobbyDemocratic16thLeonidas Jefferson StoreyDemocratic16thJohn Young GoochDemocratic17thFrancis Marion MartinDemocratic17thAugustus Weyman HoustonDemocratic18thSamuel Bronson CooperDemocratic18thWilliam Russell ShannonDemocratic19thConstantine Buckley "Buck" KilgoreDemocratic19thWilliam Henry PopeDemocratic20thJohn WoodsDemocratic20thHenry Dearborn McDonaldDemocratic21stWilliam Henry BurgesDemocratic21stJohn Walter CranfordDemocratic22ndErnst Gustav MaetzeDemocratic22ndLouis Napoleon FrankDemocratic22ndRobert Hance BurneyDemocratic22ndJohn G. KearbyDemocratic23rdEdwin Augustus AtleeDemocratic23rdPerry Joshua LewisDemocratic24thJames Dinwiddie WoodsDemocratic24thJoseph Burton Dibrell Jr.Democratic25thJames R. GoughDemocratic25thRobert N. StaffordDemocratic26thWilliam W. TurneyDemocratic26thBarry MillerDemocratic27thGeorge D. NealDemocratic27thDaniel W. OdellDemocratic27thAsbury Bascom DavidsonDemocratic27thCalhoun L. PotterDemocratic27thAsbury Bascom DavidsonDemocratic28thRobert V. DavidsonDemocratic28thGeorge W. SavageDemocratic28thWilliam A. HangerDemocratic29thJohn G. WillacyDemocratic29thJames J. FaulkDemocratic29thWilliam C. McKamy Jr.Democratic29thSidney P. SkinnerDemocratic30thMcDonald J. MeachumDemocratic30thA. P. BarrettDemocratic30thBenjamin F. LooneyDemocratic30thJames M. TerrellDemocratic31stQuintus et Ultimus WatsonDemocratic31stCharles L. BrachfieldDemocratic31stEdward Irwin KellieDemocratic31stWilliam Owen MurrayDemocratic31stAlfred John HarperDemocratic31stDavid McNeil AlexanderDemocratic31stHenry Berryman TerrellDemocratic31stErasmus Gilbert SenterDemocratic31stFerdinand C. WeinertDemocratic31stClaude B. HudspethDemocratic32ndThomas W. PerkinsDemocratic32ndCharles Vernon TerrellDemocratic32ndEarle Bradford MayfieldDemocratic32ndOffa Shivers LattimoreDemocratic33rdWilliam Jeffries GreerDemocratic33rdEdgar Hubbard CarterDemocratic33rdVinson A. CollinsDemocratic33rdRobert Lee WarrenDemocratic33rdJames Robert WileyDemocratic33rdFlavius M. GibsonDemocratic33rdWright Chalfant MorrowDemocratic33rdCharles Walter TaylorDemocratic33rdQuintus et Ultimus WatsonDemocratic33rdClinton W. NugentDemocratic34thWilliam J. Townsend Jr.Democratic34thJames R. WileyDemocratic34thIsaac E. ClarkDemocratic34thJohn M. HendersonDemocratic35thFlavius M. GibsonDemocratic35thEd WestbrookDemocratic35thWilliam D. SuiterDemocratic35thClaude B. HudspethDemocratic35thAlonzo Abner "Lon" SmithDemocratic35thWilliam Luther DeanDemocratic35thJames Clayton McNealusDemocratic35thWilliam Luther DeanDemocratic35thWillard Arnold JohnsonDemocratic35thEdmond A. Decherd Jr.Democratic35thRienzi Melville JohnstonDemocratic35thJeff J. StricklandDemocratic36thGeorge W. DaytonDemocratic36thJames M. AlderdiceDemocratic36thCharles R. BuchananDemocratic36thPaul DeWitt PageDemocratic36thGeorge M. HopkinsDemocratic36thArren C. BuchananDemocratic36thEd WestbrookDemocratic36thWalter D. CaldwellDemocratic36thMartin FaustDemocratic36thPaul DeWitt PageDemocratic37thCharles R. FloydDemocratic37thJohn Heywood BaileyDemocratic37thArchie ParrDemocratic37thJames Hollins WoodsDemocratic37thHarry HertzbergDemocratic37thRichard Moberley DudleyDemocratic38thWilliam Edward WattsDemocratic38thDan Scott McMillinDemocratic38thEdgar E. WittDemocratic38thCharles Alfred Murphy Sr.Democratic38thIsaac Edgar ClarkDemocratic38thHenry LaFayette LewisDemocratic38thI. D. FairchildDemocratic38thAlvin J. WirtzDemocratic39thWilliam H. BledsoeDemocratic39thJames Garrison StrongDemocratic39thJohn DavisDemocratic39thAshley E. WoodDemocratic40thThomas J. HolbrookDemocratic40thTomas G. PollardDemocratic40thRichard S. BowersDemocratic40thWalter C. WoodwardDemocratic41stWilfred R. Cousins Sr.Democratic41stEugene MillerDemocratic41stMargie E. NealDemocratic41stPink L. ParrishDemocratic41stGus RussekDemocratic41stBenjamin F. BerkeleyDemocratic41stEdgar E. WittDemocratic41stJulian P. GreerDemocratic41stW. Albert "Cap" WilliamsonDemocratic41stJoseph M. MooreDemocratic41stCarl C. HardinDemocratic42ndJohn W. E. H. BeckDemocratic42ndTom A. DeBerryDemocratic42ndClint C. SmallDemocratic42ndWilliam E. ThomasonDemocratic42ndJames W. StevensonDemocratic42ndJacob J. LoyDemocratic42ndCharles S. GainerDemocratic42ndOliver C. CunninghamDemocratic42ndH. Grady WoodruffDemocratic42ndWalter F. WoodulDemocratic43rdNat PattonDemocratic43rdGeorge C. PurlDemocratic43rdWelly K. HopkinsDemocratic43rdFrank H. RawlingsDemocratic43rdMargie E. NealDemocratic43rdWilliam Cecil MurphyDemocratic43rdJoseph M. MooreDemocratic43rdWalter C. WoodwardDemocratic43rdKenneth M. ReganDemocratic44thJohn S. ReddittDemocratic44thWilliam Marvin MartinDemocratic44thJames Emery "Jim" NealDemocratic44thWilliam Robert PoageDemocratic44thWilbourne B. CollieDemocratic44thRoy SanderfordDemocratic44thTom A. DeBerryDemocratic44thWilliam Dent PaceDemocratic45thClaud C. WesterfeldDemocratic45thOlan Rogers Van ZandtDemocratic45thClaude IsbellDemocratic45thAllan ShiversDemocratic45thBenjamin G. OnealDemocratic45thWeaver MooreDemocratic46thAlbert StoneDemocratic46thClay CottenDemocratic47thRudolph A. WeinertDemocratic47thEdwin Harold BeckDemocratic47thHenry L. WinfieldDemocratic47thVernon LemensDemocratic48thFred MauritzDemocratic48thA. M. Aikin Jr.Democratic48thGeorge C. MoffettDemocratic49thWilliam GravesDemocratic49thBen RamseyDemocratic50thTerrell Claude ChadickDemocratic50thKyle Alfred VickDemocratic51stGeorge C. MorrisDemocratic51stGrady HazlewoodDemocratic51stWardlow W. LaneDemocratic51stPat M. BullockDemocratic52ndHoward Augustus CarneyDemocratic52ndRogers Caswell KelleyDemocratic53rdJimmy PhillipsDemocratic53rdGus J. StraussDemocratic53rdDorsey B. HardemanDemocratic53rdCrawford MartinDemocratic54thNeveille H. ColsonDemocratic54thOttis E. LockDemocratic55thCarlos C. Ashley Sr.Democratic55thJ. Searcy Bracewell Jr.Democratic55thWilliam T. "Bill" MooreDemocratic55thJep S. FullerDemocratic55thGeorge M. ParkhouseDemocratic56thRudolph A. WeinertDemocratic56thJarrard SecrestDemocratic56thAndrew Jacob "Andy" RogersDemocratic56thAbraham "Chick" KazenDemocratic56thFrank Owen IIIDemocratic56thRay RobertsDemocratic57thDavid RatliffDemocratic57thPreston SmithDemocratic57thBruce Anderson ReaganDemocratic57thDoyle Henry WillisDemocratic57thBruce Anderson ReaganDemocratic57thCharles Ferguson HerringDemocratic57thCulp KruegerDemocratic57thMartin Dies Jr.Democratic58thLouis CrumpDemocratic58thThomas William "Tom" CreightonDemocratic59thA. R. "Babe" SchwartzDemocratic59thGalloway CalhounDemocratic59thW. N. "Bill" PatmanDemocratic60thRalph HallDemocratic60thJames Storey "Jim" BatesDemocratic60thDavid Roy HarringtonDemocratic60thDon KennardDemocratic61stMurray Watson Jr.Democratic61stHorace J. "Doc" BlanchardDemocratic61stJames Powell WordDemocratic61stCriss ColeDemocratic61stJack HightowerDemocratic62ndWallace Eugene "Pete" SnelsonDemocratic62ndBarbara JordanDemocratic62ndChet BrooksDemocratic62ndWayne ConnallyDemocratic62ndCharles WilsonDemocratic62ndOscar H. MauzyDemocratic63rdOrland Harold "Ike" HarrisRepublican63rdMax ShermanDemocratic63rdJames P. WallaceDemocratic63rdGlenn KothmannDemocratic64thH. Tati SantiestebanDemocratic64thBetty AndujarRepublican65thDon AdamsDemocratic65thPeyton McKnightDemocratic65thRaul L. LongoriaDemocratic65thWilliam C. MeierDemocratic66thBill BraeckleinDemocratic66thJohn TraegerDemocratic67thJack C. OggDemocratic67thWalter MengdenRepublican67thJohn T. WilsonDemocratic67thJohn Grant JonesDemocratic68thLloyd DoggettDemocratic68thLindon WilliamsDemocratic68thRay FarabeeDemocratic69thCarlos F. TruanDemocratic69thVernon Edgar HowardDemocratic69thCarlos F. TruanDemocratic69thCarl A. ParkerDemocratic70thRoy Blake Sr.Democratic70thJohn N. LeedomRepublican71stJames Eugene "Buster" BrownRepublican71stKent A. CapertonDemocratic71stCraig A. WashingtonDemocratic71stHugh Q. ParmerDemocratic71stBob McFarlandRepublican71stRobert J. GlasgowDemocratic72ndDon B. HendersonRepublican72ndWilliam McKinnie "Bill" SimsDemocratic72ndJohn T. MontfordDemocratic73rdJohn WhitmireDemocratic73rdGonzalo BarrientosDemocratic74thKen ArmbristerDemocratic74thJudith ZaffiriniDemocratic75thBill RatliffRepublican75thTeel BivinsRepublican76thRodney EllisDemocratic76thChris HarrisRepublican77thMike MoncriefDemocratic77thEddie Lucio Jr.Democratic78thJane NelsonRepublican78thJeff WentworthRepublican78thFlorence ShapiroRepublican79thFrank L. MadlaDemocratic79thRoyce WestDemocratic79thMario Gallegos Jr.Democratic80thJohn CaronaRepublican80thRobert L. DuncanRepublican81st (Regular)Troy FraserRepublican81st (Interim)Steve OgdenRepublican82nd (Regular)Mike JacksonRepublican82nd (Interim)Leticia Van de PutteDemocratic83rd (Regular)Craig EstesRepublican83rd (Interim)Juan HinojosaDemocrat 84th (Regular)Kevin EltifeRepublican 84th (Interim)Kel SeligerRepublican 85th (Regular)Robert NicholsRepublican 85th (Interim)Kirk WatsonDemocratic86th (Regular)Joan HuffmanRepublican86th (Interim)Brian BirdwellRepublican87th (Regular)Donna CampbellRepublican87th (Interim)Kelly HancockRepublican88th (Regular)Charles SchwertnerRepublican88th (Interim)Brandon CreightonRepublican89th (Regular)Charles PerryRepublican89th (Interim)
See also List of Texas state legislatures
References