The lieutenant governor of Kentucky was created under the state's second constitution, which was ratified in 1799. The inaugural officeholder was Alexander Scott Bullitt, who took office in 1800 following his election to serve under James Garrard in 1799. The lieutenant governor becomes governor of Kentucky under circumstances similar to those under which the vice president of the United States assumes the presidency. The current lieutenant governor is Democrat Jacqueline Coleman, who has been office since December 10, 2019.

Duties of the Kentucky lieutenant governor As specified in Kentucky Revised Statute 11.400, it states:

11.400 Duties of Lieutenant Governor.Kentucky Revised Statute 11.400 (1) In addition to the duties prescribed for the office by the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the duties of the Lieutenant Governor shall be as follows: (a) To serve as vice chairman of the State Property and Buildings Commission as prescribed by KRS 56.450; (b) To serve as vice chairman of the Kentucky Turnpike Authority as prescribed in KRS 175.430; (c) To serve as a member of the Kentucky Council on Agriculture in accordance with KRS 247.417; (d) To appoint one (1) member of the Public Officials' Compensation Commission as provided in KRS 64.742; (e) To serve as a member of the Board of the Kentucky Housing Corporation in accordance with KRS 198A.030; and (f) To serve as a member of Kentucky delegations on the following interstate compact commissions or boards: 1. The Southern Growth Policies Board as prescribed by KRS 147.585; 2. The Breaks Interstate Park Commission as provided in KRS 148.225; 3. The Falls of the Ohio Interstate Park Commission pursuant to KRS 148.242; 4. The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority pursuant to KRS 182.305; 5. The Interstate Water Sanitation Control Commissions as prescribed by KRS 224.18-710; and 6. The Kentucky Mining Advisory Council for the Interstate Mining Compact as provided by KRS 350.310. (2) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the Governor and Lieutenant Governor from agreeing upon additional duties within the executive branch of the state government to be performed by the Lieutenant Governor. Effective: June 26, 2007

Changes by 1992 amendment The role and powers of the lieutenant governor of Kentucky were altered by a 1992 amendment to the Constitution of Kentucky. Prior to that 1992 amendment to the Constitution of Kentucky the lieutenant governor became acting governor at any time that the governor was outside of the commonwealth. Lieutenant governors Thelma Stovall (1975–1979) and Happy Chandler (1931–1935) engaged in high-profile use of their powers as acting governor when the elected governor was out of the commonwealth.

Also prior to the 1992 amendment of the Constitution of Kentucky, the lieutenant governor of Kentucky presided over the Kentucky Senate, casting a vote only in the event of a tie. The 1992 constitutional amendment supplanted the office of President pro tempore of the Kentucky Senate with the new office of President of the Kentucky Senate as presiding officer and abolished the lieutenant governor's duties involving the Senate. As a result, the lieutenant governor has no ongoing constitutional duties, and his or her traditional use of the Old Governor's Mansion as an official residence has been phased out.

Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor in Kentucky run together on party slates. This is the result of the same 1992 constitutional amendment; prior to that the candidates for both offices ran separately and, as a result, sometimes the two elected to those offices were not allies and did not work together. This was famously highlighted when then-Lt. Gov. A. B. "Happy" Chandler in 1935 and then-Lt. Gov. Thelma Stovall in 1978 called the Kentucky General Assembly into session to enact legislation that was not advocated by the governors at the time (Ruby Laffoon and Julian Carroll, respectively). In 1967 a Republican, Louie Nunn, was elected governor and a Democrat, Wendell H. Ford, was elected lieutenant governor; they served together in that way for four years.

List of lieutenant governors

# Image Name Political party Term Governor(s) served under1Alexander Scott Bullitt1800–1804James Garrard2John Caldwell1804Christopher Greenup3Thomas PoseyDemocratic-Republican1806–1808Christopher Greenup4Gabriel SlaughterDemocratic-Republican1808–1812Charles Scott5Richard Hickman1812–1816Isaac Shelby6Gabriel SlaughterDemocratic-Republican1816George MadisonOffice vacant from October 4, 1816 - August 29, 1820Gabriel Slaughter7William T. BarryDemocratic-Republican1820-1824George Madison8Robert B. McAfeeDemocratic-Republican1824–1828Joseph Desha9John BreathittDemocratic1828–1832Thomas Metcalfe10James T. MoreheadNational Republican, Whig1832–1834John BreathittOffice vacant from September 2, 1834 - August 31, 1836James T. Morehead11Charles A. WickliffeWhig1836–1839James ClarkOffice vacant from August 27, 1839 - September 2, 1840Charles A. Wickliffe12Manlius Valerius Thomson1840–1844Robert P. Letcher13Archibald DixonWhig1844–1848William Owsley14John LaRue HelmWhig1848–1850John J. CrittendenOffice vacant from July 31, 1850 - September 2, 1851John L. Helm15John Burton ThompsonWhig, Know Nothing1851–1853Lazarus W. Powell16James Greene HardyKnow Nothing1855–1856Charles S. MoreheadOffice vacant from July 16, 1856 - 185917Linn BoydDemocratic1859Beriah Magoffin18Richard Taylor JacobDemocratic1863–1864Thomas E. BramletteOffice vacant from 1864 - September 3, 1867Thomas E. Bramlette19John W. StevensonDemocratic1867John L. HelmOffice vacant from September 3, 1867 - September 5, 187120John G. CarlisleDemocratic1871–1875Preston H. Leslie21John C. UnderwoodDemocratic1875–1879James B. McCreary22James E. CantrillDemocratic1879–1883Luke P. Blackburn23James R. HindmanDemocratic1883–1887J. Proctor Knott24James W. Bryan Democratic1887–1891Simon Bolivar Buckner25Mitchell C. AlfordDemocratic1891–1895John Young Brown26William J. WorthingtonRepublican1895–1899William O. Bradley27John MarshallRepublican1899–1900William S. Taylor28J. C. W. BeckhamDemocratic1900William Goebel–Newton Willard Utley (Acting)1902–1903J. C. W. Beckham29William P. ThorneDemocratic1903–1907J. C. W. Beckham30William H. CoxRepublican1907–1911Augustus E. Willson31Edward J. McDermottDemocratic1911–1915James B. McCreary32James D. BlackDemocratic1915–1919Augustus O. Stanley33S. Thruston BallardRepublican1919–1923James D. BlackEdwin P. Morrow34Henry DenhardtDemocratic1923–1927William J. Fields35James Breathitt, Jr.Democratic1927–1931Flem D. Sampson36Happy ChandlerDemocratic1931–1935Ruby Laffoon37Keen JohnsonDemocratic1935–1939Happy Chandler38Rodes K. MyersDemocratic1939–1943Keen Johnson39Kenneth H. TuggleRepublican1943–1947Simeon Willis40Lawrence W. WetherbyDemocratic1947–1950Earle Clements41Emerson BeauchampDemocratic1951–1955Lawrence W. Wetherbyvacant42Harry Lee WaterfieldDemocratic1955–1959Happy Chandler43Wilson W. WyattDemocratic1959–1963Bert Combs44Harry Lee WaterfieldDemocratic1963–1967Ned Breathitt45Wendell FordDemocratic1967–1971Louie Nunn46Julian CarrollDemocratic1971–1974Wendell FordOffice vacant from December 28, 1974 - December 9, 1975 47Thelma StovallDemocratic1975–1979Julian Carroll48Martha Layne CollinsDemocratic1979–1983John Y. Brown Jr.49Steve BeshearDemocratic1983–1987Martha Layne Collins50Brereton C. JonesDemocratic1987–1991Wallace Wilkinson51Paul E. PattonDemocratic1991–1995Brereton C. Jones52Steve Henry Democratic1995–2003Paul E. Patton53Steve PenceRepublican2003–2007Ernie Fletcher54Daniel MongiardoDemocratic2007–2011Steve Beshear55Jerry AbramsonDemocratic2011–2014Steve Beshear56Crit LuallenDemocratic2014–2015Steve Beshear57Jenean HamptonRepublican2015–2019Matt Bevin58Jacqueline Coleman Democratic2019–presentAndy Beshear

Some accounts also indicate that Kentucky's Confederate government had one lieutenant governor, Horatio F. Simrall, who was elected at the Russellville Convention in 1861. Simrall fled to Mississippi shortly thereafter.

See also Governor of Kentucky

References