The lieutenant governor is the second-highest-ranking government official in 45 of the 50 U.S. states and four of the five territories. In those states and territories, the lieutenant governor is the first in the line of succession in case of a vacancy in the office of governor (Note: in Massachusetts and West Virginia, the lieutenant governor only assumes powers and duties as acting governor, not succeeding to the governorship), while in the remaining states and territories another office holds that status. Currently, 26 states elect a lieutenant governor on a ticket with the governor, while 17 states elect a lieutenant governor separately. In West Virginia, the president of the Senate, as elected by the State Senators, serves as the state's lieutenant governor. In Tennessee, the State Senators elect a Speaker of the Senate, who in turn serves as lieutenant governor. Five states and one inhabited territory do not have a lieutenant governor.
List of lieutenant governors by state In the table below, "term ends" indicates the year the current lieutenant governor will leave office; a notation (term limits) after the year indicates that the current lieutenant governor is ineligible to seek re-election in that year. A notation of (retiring) after the year indicates that the current lieutenant governor is leaving office that year, having not sought re-election. A notation of (defeated) indicates that the current lieutenant governor was defeated for re-election.
StateImageNamePartyPrior Public ExperienceTerm StartTerm EndSelectionAlabama (list)RepublicanAlabama House2027Separate electionAlaska (list)RepublicanCommissioner of Alaska Department of CorrectionsAlaska House2026Same ticketArkansas (list)RepublicanAttorney General2027Separate electionCalifornia (list)DemocraticU.S. Ambassador to Hungary2027 (term limits)Separate electionColorado (list)DemocraticColorado House2027Same ticketConnecticut (list)DemocraticSecretary of the State of ConnecticutConnecticut House2027Same ticket in the general elections;Separate elections in the primariesDelaware (list)DemocraticDelaware Senate2029Separate electionFlorida (list)RepublicanFlorida Senate2027Same ticketGeorgia (list) Republican Georgia Senate2027Separate electionHawaii (list)DemocraticHawaii House 2026Same ticket in the general elections;Separate elections in the primariesIdaho (list)RepublicanIdaho House Speaker2027Separate electionIllinois (list)DemocraticIllinois House2027Same ticketIndiana (list)RepublicanNoblesville public library trustee2029Same ticket in the general elections;Separately nominated at party conventionsIowa (list)Republican Iowa Senate2027Same ticketKansas (list)DemocraticState Secretary of Commerce 2027Same ticketKentucky (list) Democratic No prior offices2027 (term limits)Same ticketLouisiana (list)RepublicanPlaquemines Parish President2028Separate electionMaryland (list)DemocraticMaryland House of Delegates2027Same ticketMassachusetts (list)Democratic Mayor of Salem2027Same ticket in the general elections;Separate elections in the primariesMichigan (list)Democratic No prior offices2027 (term limits)Same ticketMinnesota (list)Democratic (DFL)Minnesota House2027Same ticketMississippi (list)RepublicanMississippi Secretary of State2028 (term limits)Separate electionMissouri (list)RepublicanNo prior offices2029Separate electionMontana (list)RepublicanNo prior offices2029Same ticketNebraska (list)RepublicanUnited States Attorney for the District of Nebraska2027Same ticketNevada (list)RepublicanLas Vegas City Council2027Separate electionNew Jersey (list)VacantSame ticketNew Mexico (list)Democratic New Mexico SenateGrant County Clerk2027Same ticket in the general elections;Separate elections in the primariesNew York (list)DemocraticU.S. House2026NY lieutenant gubernatorial terms begin at midnight New Year's Day.Same ticket in the general elections;Separate elections in the primariesNorth Carolina (list)DemocraticNorth Carolina SenateNorth Carolina House2029Separate electionNorth Dakota (list)Republican North Dakota House 2028Same ticketOhio (list)RepublicanNo prior offices2027Same ticketOklahoma (list)Republican No prior offices2027Separate electionPennsylvania (list)Democratic Pennsylvania House2027Same ticket in the general elections;Separate elections in the primariesRhode Island (list)DemocraticProvidence City Council2027Separate electionSouth Carolina (list)RepublicanNo prior offices2027Same ticketSouth Dakota (list)RepublicanSouth Dakota House2027Same ticket Tennessee (list)Republican Tennessee SenateTennessee House2027State SenateThe Tennessee Senate elects their speaker who serves as lieutenant governor. The full title of the office is Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate.Texas (list)RepublicanTexas Senate 2027Separate electionUtah (list)RepublicanUtah Senate 2029Same ticketVermont (list)Republican Vermont SenateVermont House2027Separate electionVirginia (list)DemocraticVirginia Senate2030 Separate electionWashington (list)DemocraticU.S. HouseWashington House2029Separate electionWest Virginia (list) RepublicanWest Virginia HouseWest Virginia Senate2027State SenateWest Virginia Code 6A-1-4(b), as enacted in 2000, entitles the president of the West Virginia Senate to use the title Lieutenant GovernorWisconsin (list)Democratic Wisconsin State Assembly2027Same ticket in the general elections;Separate elections in the primaries
List of lieutenant governors by territory
TerritoryImageLieutenant governorPartyPrior public experienceTerm startTerm endChosen byAmerican Samoa (list)RepublicanAmerican SamoaHouse of Representatives2029Same ticketGuam (list)DemocraticNo prior offices 2027Same ticketNorthern Mariana Islands (list)RepublicanNorthern Mariana Islands Senate2027Same ticketU.S. Virgin Islands (list)DemocraticLegislature of the Virgin Islands2027Same ticket
States which do not have lieutenant governors
Five states do not have a position of an official lieutenant governor. In these cases, the secretary of state or the president of the Senate is next in line for the governorship.
StateOfficeImageOfficeholderPartyPrior public experienceTerm startArizonaSecretary of StateDemocraticCounty Recorder of Maricopa CountyMainePresident of the SenateDemocraticMaine SenateMaine House of RepresentativesNew HampshirePresident of the SenateRepublican New Hampshire SenateNew Hampshire House of RepresentativesOregonSecretary of StateDemocraticOregon TreasurerOregon HouseWyomingSecretary of StateRepublicanWyoming House of Representatives
Federal district and territories which do not have lieutenant governors or deputy mayors One territory, Puerto Rico, places the secretary of state next in line for the governorship. In the District of Columbia, the chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia is first in line of succession in the event of a vacancy in the office of mayor of the District of Columbia.
JurisdictionOfficeImageOfficeholderPartyPrior public experienceTerm startDistrict of ColumbiaChairman of the CouncilDemocraticDC CouncilmanAdvisory Neighborhood CommissionerPuerto RicoSecretary of StateNew Progressive/DemocraticMayor of Gurabo
States and territories with differing party membership at the executive level In most states or territories, the governor and lieutenant governor are members of the same political party. In the following states and territories, the designated successor to the governorship is of a different political party than the governor:
Stateor territoryGovernor DesignatedsuccessorNorthern Mariana IslandsIndependentRepublicanPuerto RicoRepublicanDemocratic
See also List of current United States first spouses List of current United States governors List of current United States lieutenant governors by age List of female lieutenant governors in the United States List of minority governors and lieutenant governors in the United States
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