The lieutenant governor of Massachusetts is the first in the line to discharge the powers and duties of the office of governor following the incapacitation of the governor of Massachusetts. The constitutional honorific title for the office is His, or Her, Honor.
The Massachusetts Constitution provides that when a governor dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the office of governor remains vacant for the rest of the four-year term. The lieutenant governor discharges powers and duties as acting governor and does not assume the office of governor. The first time this came into use was five years after the constitution's adoption in 1785, when Governor John Hancock resigned his post five months before the election and inauguration of his successor, James Bowdoin, leaving Lieutenant Governor Thomas Cushing as acting governor. Most recently, Jane Swift became acting governor when Paul Cellucci resigned in 2001 to become the U.S. Ambassador to Canada.
When the governor is outside the borders of Massachusetts, the lieutenant governor exercises the power of the governor. Historically a one-year term, the office of lieutenant governor now carries a four-year term, the same as that of the governor. The lieutenant governor is not elected independently, but on a ticket with the governor. The 1780 constitution required a candidate for either office to have lived in Massachusetts for at least seven years immediately preceding election, own at least £1,000 worth of real property and to "declare himself to be of the Christian religion". However, only the residency requirement remains in effect, and both men and women have served in the office.Amendments: Article VII removed the religious oath, Article XXXIV removed the property requirement, Amendment Article LXIV (1918) changed the election from every year to every two years, and Amendment Article LXXXII (1966) changed it again to every four years. The office is currently held by Kim Driscoll, who was inaugurated in January 2023.
Qualifications Any person seeking to become Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts must meet the following requirements:Candidate Guidesec.state.ma.us Be at least eighteen years of age Be a registered voter in Massachusetts Be a Massachusetts resident for at least seven years when elected Receive 10,000 signatures from registered voters on nomination papers
History
The role of the lieutenant governor has its roots in the role of the deputy governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. Originally the deputy, along with the governor, and the Council of Assistants were elected by freemen of the colony. They served as executives in the governance of the colony but also as executive officers of the Company of Massachusetts Bay. Originally these royal officers were to remain in London, as was the case with other royal colonial companies. However, John Humphrey and John Winthrop, the first deputy and governor respectively, traveled to the colony instead. In the colonial era the governor and deputy served as chief magistrates along with the Council, and the governor served as general of the militia and the deputy as Colonel.
In the early days of the colony the deputy governor was elected to a one year term along with the governor. With the revocation of the charter of 1629 and the establishment of the Dominion of New England, all this was changed. Now the Royal Officers were to be appointed by the King and Privy Council. They were to follow royal directive and serve the interests of the Crown. The Royal Government in Great Britain was frustrated with their lack of control of the New England colonies and sought to reassert their authority.
Now styled "Lieutenant Governor", the new royal appointees came into conflict with the colonists and General Court who wished to regain authority of provincial affairs. The last Lieutenant Governor was Thomas Oliver who served with Gen. Thomas Gage.
Constitutional role Part the Second, Chapter II, Section II, Article I of the Massachusetts Constitution reads, There shall be annually elected a lieutenant governor of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, whose title shall be, His Honor and who shall be qualified, in point of religion, property, and residence in the commonwealth, in the same manner with the governor: and the day and manner of his or her election, and the qualifications of the electors, shall be the same as are required in the election of a governor.
The lieutenant governor also serves ex officio as a member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council.
Other functions Massachusetts law provides for the lieutenant governor to serve as the chairman of the award selection committee for the Madeline Amy Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery.
Election The lieutenant governor is typically elected on a joint ticket with the governor, ensuring that they have the same political party affiliation. The primary however is separate from the governor. When the state constitution was first enacted in 1780, elections for the two offices were independent, and were held annually. Constitutional amendments enacted in 1918 extended the terms of both offices to two years, with elections in even-numbered years. In 1964 the constitution was amended again to extend the terms to four years,Mass. Const. Amendments Art. LXIV and in 1966 to allow for the grouping of governor and lieutenant governor on the ballot by political party.Mass. Const. Amendments Art. LXXVI Elections are held in even-numbered years that are not presidential election years.
List of lieutenant governors Lieutenant governors who acted as governor during a portion of their terms (due to vacancy by death or resignation in the governor's seat) are marked by asterisks (*).
Lieutenant GovernorTerm in officePolitical partyGovernor(s)Parties1Thomas Cushing*1780–1788IndependentJohn Hancock (I)James Bowdoin (I)2 Benjamin Lincoln1788–1789FederalistJohn Hancock (I)3 Samuel Adams1789–1794Democratic-RepublicanJohn Hancock (I)4Moses Gill*1794–1800IndependentSamuel Adams (DR)Increase Sumner (F)Office vacant from May 20, 1800 – , 1801Governor's CouncilCaleb Strong (F)5 Samuel Phillips Jr.1801–1802FederalistCaleb Strong (F)6 Edward Robbins1802–1806Democratic-RepublicanCaleb Strong (F)Office vacant from , 1806 – May 29, 1807Caleb Strong (F)7 Levi Lincoln Sr.*1807–1809Democratic-RepublicanJames Sullivan (DR)8 David Cobb1809–1810FederalistChristopher Gore (F)9 William Gray1810–1812Democratic-RepublicanElbridge Gerry (DR)10 William Phillips Jr.1812–1823FederalistCaleb Strong (F)John Brooks (F)11 Levi Lincoln Jr. 1823–1824Democratic-RepublicanWilliam Eustis (DR)12 Marcus Morton*1824–1825Democratic-RepublicanWilliam Eustis (DR)13 Thomas L. Winthrop1825–1833Democratic-RepublicanLevi Lincoln Jr. (NR, W)14 Samuel T. Armstrong*1833–1835WhigJohn Davis (W)15 George Hull1836–1843WhigEdward Everett (W)Marcus Morton (D)John Davis (W)16 Henry H. Childs1843–1844DemocraticMarcus Morton (D)17 John Reed Jr.1844–1851WhigGeorge N. Briggs (W)18 Henry W. Cushman1851–1853DemocraticGeorge S. Boutwell (D)19 Elisha Huntington1853–1854WhigJohn H. Clifford (W)20 William C. Plunkett1854–1855WhigEmory Washburn (W)21 Simon Brown1855–1856Know NothingHenry Gardner (KN)22 Henry W. Benchley1856–1858RepublicanHenry Gardner (KN)23 Eliphalet Trask1858–1861RepublicanNathaniel Prentice Banks (R)24 John Z. Goodrich1861RepublicanJohn Albion Andrew (R)25 John Nesmith1862RepublicanJohn Albion Andrew (R)26 Joel Hayden1863–1866RepublicanJohn Albion Andrew (R)27 William Claflin1866–1869RepublicanAlexander H. Bullock (R)28 Joseph Tucker1869–1873RepublicanWilliam Claflin (R)William B. Washburn (R)29 Thomas Talbot*1873–1875RepublicanWilliam B. Washburn (R)30 Horatio G. Knight1875–1879RepublicanWilliam Gaston (D)Alexander H. Rice (R)31 John D. Long1879–1880RepublicanThomas Talbot (R)32 Byron Weston1880–1883RepublicanJohn Davis Long (R)33 Oliver Ames1883–1887RepublicanBenjamin F. Butler (D, Greenback)George D. Robinson (R)34 John Q. A. Brackett1887–1890RepublicanOliver Ames (R)35 William H. Haile1890–1893RepublicanJohn Q. A. Brackett (R)William Russell (D)36 Roger Wolcott*1893–1896RepublicanWilliam Russell (D)Frederic T. Greenhalge (R)37 Winthrop M. Crane1897–1900RepublicanRoger Wolcott (R)38 John L. Bates1900–1903RepublicanWinthrop Murray Crane (R)39 Curtis Guild Jr.1903–1906RepublicanJohn L. Bates (R)William Lewis Douglas (D)40 Eben S. Draper1906–1909RepublicanCurtis Guild Jr. (R)41 Louis A. Frothingham1909–1912RepublicanEben S. Draper (R)Eugene Noble Foss (D)42 Robert Luce1912–1913RepublicanEugene Noble Foss (D)43 David I. Walsh1913–1914DemocraticEugene Noble Foss (D)44 Edward P. Barry1914–1915DemocraticDavid I. Walsh (D)45 Grafton D. Cushing1915–1916RepublicanDavid I. Walsh (D)46 Calvin Coolidge1916–1919RepublicanSamuel W. McCall (R)47 Channing H. Cox1919–1921RepublicanCalvin Coolidge (R)48 Alvan T. Fuller1921–1925RepublicanChanning H. Cox (R)49 Frank G. Allen1925–1929RepublicanAlvan T. Fuller (R)50 William S. Youngman1929–1933RepublicanFrank G. Allen (R)51 Gaspar G. Bacon1933–1935RepublicanJoseph B. Ely (D)52 Joseph L. Hurley1935–1937DemocraticJames Michael Curley (D)53 Francis E. Kelly1937–1939DemocraticCharles F. Hurley (D)54 Horace T. Cahill1939–1945RepublicanLeverett Saltonstall (R)55 Robert F. Bradford1945–1947RepublicanMaurice J. Tobin (D)56 Arthur W. Coolidge1947–1949RepublicanRobert F. Bradford (R)57 Charles F. Sullivan 1949–1953DemocraticPaul A. Dever (D)58 Sumner G. Whittier1953–1957RepublicanChristian Herter (R)59 Robert F. Murphy1957–1960DemocraticFoster Furcolo (D)Office vacant from October 6, 1960 – January 5, 1961Foster Furcolo (D)60 Edward F. McLaughlin Jr.1961–1963DemocraticJohn A. Volpe (R)61 Francis Bellotti1963–1965DemocraticEndicott Peabody (D)62 Elliot Richardson1965–1967RepublicanJohn A. Volpe (R)63 Francis Sargent*1967–1971RepublicanJohn A. Volpe (R)64 Donald Dwight1971–1975RepublicanFrancis W. Sargent (R)65 Thomas P. O'Neill III1975–1983DemocraticMichael Dukakis (D)Edward J. King (D)66 John Kerry1983–1985DemocraticMichael Dukakis (D)Office vacant from January 2, 1985 – January 8, 1987Michael Dukakis (D)67 Evelyn Murphy1987–1991DemocraticMichael Dukakis (D)68 Paul Cellucci*1991–1999RepublicanWilliam Weld (R)69 Jane Swift*1999–2003RepublicanPaul Cellucci (R)70 Kerry Healey2003–2007RepublicanMitt Romney (R)71 Tim Murray2007–2013DemocraticDeval Patrick (D)Office vacant from June 2, 2013 – January 8, 2015Deval Patrick (D)72 Karyn Polito2015–2023RepublicanCharlie Baker (R)73 Kim Driscoll2023–presentDemocraticMaura Healey (D)
See also List of governors of Massachusetts Government of Massachusetts Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 2022 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 2018
References
External links Office of the Governor CNN.com 2006 election results OurCampaigns.com