The lieutenant governor of Michigan is the second-ranking official in the U.S. state of Michigan, behind the governor.

The current lieutenant governor is Garlin Gilchrist, a Democrat, who has held the office since January 1, 2019.

Process

In Michigan, the governor and lieutenant governor are elected as a ticket to serve a term of four years. The election takes place two years after each presidential election; thus, the next election will take place in November 2026.

Nomination Following the August primary election in each gubernatorial election year, the state's two largest political parties convene a state convention and nominate candidates for lieutenant governor, secretary of state and attorney general, among other offices. Because the governor and lieutenant governor are elected as a ticket, the party's gubernatorial nominee usually makes the de facto decision as to whom the party will nominate for lieutenant governor, then convention delegates officially confirm the designation.

Historically, the governor and lieutenant governor were elected separately, leading to occasions where Republicans controlled one office and the Democrats another (as with George Romney and T. John Lesinski). This changed with the Michigan Constitution of 1963.

Election and inauguration After the November general election, the governor and lieutenant governor take office on January 1. Thus, the winners of the 2022 election began their term on January 1, 2023.

Term limits Like the governor, the lieutenant governor is allowed to serve up to two terms in office.

Duties There are three main duties assigned to the lieutenant governor: to serve as acting governor while the governor is out of state; to become governor if the governor is unable to serve due to death, illness or incapacitation; and to preside over the Michigan Senate.

These days, the lieutenant governor also acts as an assistant to the governor. When the governor is unable to attend a function, for instance, the lieutenant governor may be sent in place of the governor. The lieutenant governor will also occasionally head blue-ribbon commissions into pressing public policy issues.

As per Article V, section 25, of the Michigan Constitution, the lieutenant governor is able to cast a tie-breaking vote in the state Senate. After the 1970 general election, the state Senate was divided evenly, between 19 Democrats and 19 Republicans. Republicans were able to hold onto control of the state Senate due to the Republican Lt. Governor James H. Brickley's tie-breaking vote.

List of lieutenant governors

Parties (19) (43) (2)

#Lieutenant GovernorTerm in officePolitical partyGovernor(s)1 Edward Mundy1835–1840DemocraticStevens T. Mason (D)2 James Wright Gordon1840–1841WhigWilliam Woodbridge (W)3 Thomas J. Drake1841–1842WhigJames Wright Gordon (W)4 Origen D. Richardson1842–1846DemocraticJohn S. Barry (D)5 William L. Greenly1846–1847DemocraticAlpheus Felch (D)6 Charles P. Bush1847–1848DemocraticWilliam L. Greenly (D)7 William M. Fenton1848–1852DemocraticEpaphroditus Ransom (D)John S. Barry (D)8 Calvin Britain1852–1853DemocraticRobert McClelland (D)9 Andrew Parsons1853DemocraticRobert McClelland (D)10 George Griswold1853–1855DemocraticAndrew Parsons (D)11 George Coe1855–1859RepublicanKinsley S. Bingham (R)12 Edmund Burke Fairfield1859–1861RepublicanMoses Wisner (R)13 James M. Birney1861RepublicanAustin Blair (R)14 Joseph R. Williams1861RepublicanAustin Blair (R)15 Henry T. Backus1861–1863RepublicanAustin Blair (R)16 Charles S. May1863–1865RepublicanAustin Blair (R)17 Ebenezer O. Grosvenor1865–1867RepublicanHenry H. Crapo (R)18 Dwight May1867–1869RepublicanHenry H. Crapo (R)19 Morgan Bates1869–1873RepublicanHenry P. Baldwin (R)20 Henry H. Holt1873–1877RepublicanJohn J. Bagley (R)21 Alonzo Sessions1877–1881RepublicanCharles Croswell (R)22 Moreau S. Crosby1881–1885RepublicanDavid Jerome (R)Josiah Begole (D)23 Archibald Buttars1885–1887RepublicanRussell A. Alger (R)24 James H. MacDonald1887–1889RepublicanCyrus G. Luce (R)25 William Ball1889–1891RepublicanCyrus G. Luce (R)26 John Strong1891–1893DemocraticEdwin B. Winans (D)27 J. Wight Giddings1893–1895RepublicanJohn T. Rich (R)28 Alfred Milnes1895RepublicanJohn T. Rich (R)29 Joseph R. McLaughlin1895–1897RepublicanJohn T. Rich (R)30 Thomas B. Dunstan1897–1899RepublicanHazen S. Pingree (R)31 Orrin W. Robinson1899–1903RepublicanHazen S. Pingree (R)Aaron T. Bliss (R)32 Alexander Maitland1903–1907RepublicanAaron T. Bliss (R)Fred M. Warner (R)33 Patrick H. Kelley1907–1911RepublicanFred M. Warner (R)34 John Q. Ross1911–1915RepublicanChase Osborn (R) Woodbridge N. Ferris (D)35 Luren Dickinson1915–1921RepublicanWoodbridge N. Ferris (D) Albert Sleeper (R)36 Thomas Read1921–1925RepublicanAlex J. Groesbeck (R)37 George W. Welsh1925–1927RepublicanAlex J. Groesbeck (R)38 Luren Dickinson1927–1933RepublicanFred W. Green (R) Wilber M. Brucker (R)39 Allen E. Stebbins1933–1935DemocraticWilliam Comstock (D)40 Thomas Read1935–1937RepublicanFrank Fitzgerald (R)41 Leo J. Nowicki1937–1939DemocraticFrank Murphy (D)42 Luren Dickinson1939RepublicanFrank Fitzgerald (R)Office vacant from March 16, 1939 – November 19, 194043 Matilda Dodge Wilson1940–1941RepublicanLuren Dickinson (R)44 Frank Murphy1941–1943DemocraticMurray Van Wagoner (D)45 Eugene C. Keyes1943–1945RepublicanHarry Kelly (R)46 Vernon J. Brown1945–1947RepublicanHarry Kelly (R)47 Eugene C. Keyes1947–1949RepublicanKim Sigler (R)48 John W. Connolly1949–1951DemocraticG. Mennen Williams (D)49 William C. Vandenberg 1951–1953RepublicanG. Mennen Williams (D)50 Clarence A. Reid1953–1955RepublicanG. Mennen Williams (D)51 Philip Hart1955–1959DemocraticG. Mennen Williams (D)52 John Swainson1959–1961DemocraticG. Mennen Williams (D)53 T. John Lesinski1961–1965DemocraticJohn Swainson (D) George W. Romney (R)54 William G. Milliken 1965–1969RepublicanGeorge W. Romney (R)Office vacant from January 22, 1969 – , 197055 Thomas F. Schweigert1970–1971RepublicanWilliam G. Milliken (R)56 James H. Brickley1971–1975RepublicanWilliam G. Milliken (R)57 James Damman1975–1979RepublicanWilliam G. Milliken (R)58 James H. Brickley1979–1982 RepublicanWilliam G. Milliken (R)Office vacant from December 27, 1982 – January 1, 198359 Martha Griffiths1983–1991DemocraticJames Blanchard (D)60 Connie Binsfeld1991–1999RepublicanJohn Engler (R)61 Dick Posthumus1999–2003RepublicanJohn Engler (R)62 John D. Cherry2003–2011DemocraticJennifer Granholm (D)63 Brian Calley2011–2019RepublicanRick Snyder (R)64 Garlin Gilchrist2019–presentDemocratic Gretchen Whitmer (D)

References

Source: Michigan Manual 2003-2004, Chapter IV, Former Officials of Michigan

External links Office of the Lieutenant Governor Lt. Governor’s Commission on Higher Education & Economic Growth