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Lieutenant Governor of California

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Lieutenant Governor of California
Seal of the State of California
Flag of State of California
Incumbent
Eleni Kounalakis
since January 7, 2019
California State Senate
Government of California
StyleMadam Lieutenant Governor
(Informal)
The Honorable
(Formal)
Madam President
(When presiding over California Senate)
ResidenceNone official
SeatSacramento, California
California State Capitol
AppointerPopular vote
Term lengthFour years, renewable once
Constituting instrumentConstitution of California
Inaugural holderJohn McDougal
1849
SuccessionFirst
(gubernatorial line of succession)
Salary$130,490
WebsiteOfficial website

The lieutenant governor of California is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the U.S. state of California. It is the second highest-ranking official in the state government. The lieutenant governor ranks first in the gubernatorial line of succession and is also the officer of the legislative branch, president of the Senate and the presiding officer of the Senate.

Eleni Kounalakis is the 50th and current lieutenant governor of California, in office since January 2019.

Constitutional roles and duties

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The lieutenant governor presides as the president of the California State Senate and has all the powers of the governor to perform when the governor is out of the state.

The lieutenant governor often signing or vetoing legislation, or making political appointments, whenever the governor leaves the state.[1] The lieutenant governor only presides over the Senate when needed by the president pro tempore or in order to cast a tie-breaking vote.

The lieutenant governor also is in charge of duties such as higher education, natural resources, economic development.

Eligibility and requirements

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Section 5 of the state's constitution states for a person to serve as governor must:

  • be at least eighteen years old.
  • be a permanent resident in California and the United States for at least five years.

Election process

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The lieutenant governor is elected by the people through the popular election to a four-year term, along with the gubernatorial candidate or the incumbent governor as their running mate. The gubernatorial candidate or incumbent governor must have the majority of the popular vote in order to win the election.

Line of succession

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The lieutenant governor is first in the line of succession to become governor if the governor dies resigns, or is impeached from office.

List of lieutenant governors

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Lieutenant governors of the State of California
No. Lieutenant Governor Term in office Party Election Governor[a]
1   John McDougal

(1818–1866)

December 20, 1849[b]

– January 9, 1851 (succeeded to governor)

Democratic 1849   Peter Hardeman Burnett

(resigned January 9, 1851)

2 David C. Broderick

(1820–1859)

January 9, 1851

– January 8, 1852 (did not run)

Democratic Succeeded from
president of
the Senate 		John McDougal
3 Samuel Purdy

(1819–1882)

January 8, 1852

– January 9, 1856 (lost election)

Democratic 1851 John Bigler
1853
4 Robert M. Anderson

(1824–1878)

January 9, 1856

– January 8, 1858 (did not run)

American 1855 J. Neely Johnson
5 Joseph Walkup

(1819–1873)

January 8, 1858

– January 9, 1860 (did not run)

Democratic 1857 John B. Weller
6 John G. Downey

(1827–1894)

January 9, 1860

– January 20, 1860 (succeeded to governor)

Democratic 1859 Milton Latham
7 Isaac N. Quinn

(acting) (1795–1865)

January 20, 1860

– January 7, 1861 (presidency expired)

Democratic Succeeded from
president of
the Senate 		John G. Downey
8 Pablo de la Guerra

(acting) (1819–1874)

January 7, 1861

– January 10, 1862 (did not run)

Democratic Succeeded from
president of
the Senate
9 John F. Chellis

(1792–1883)

January 10, 1862

– December 10, 1863 (did not run)

Republican 1861 Leland Stanford
10 Tim N. Machin

(1822–1905)

December 10, 1863

– December 5, 1867 (did not run)

Republican 1863 Frederick Low
11 William Holden

(1824–1884)

December 5, 1867

– December 8, 1871 (did not run)

Democratic 1867 Henry Huntly Haight
12 Romualdo Pacheco

(1831–1899)

December 8, 1871

– February 27, 1875 (succeeded to governor)

Republican 1871 Newton Booth
13 William Irwin

(acting) (1827–1886)

February 27, 1875

– December 9, 1875 (elected governor)

Democratic Succeeded from
president of
the Senate 		Romualdo Pacheco[c]
14 James A. Johnson

(1829–1896)

December 9, 1875

– January 8, 1880 (did not run)

Democratic 1875 William Irwin
15 John Mansfield

(1822–1896)

January 8, 1880

– January 10, 1883 (did not run)

Republican 1879 George C. Perkins
16 John Daggett

(1833–1919)

January 10, 1883

– January 8, 1887 (did not run)

Democratic 1882 George Stoneman
17 Robert Waterman

(1826–1891)

January 8, 1887

– September 13, 1887 (succeeded to governor)

Republican 1886 Washington Bartlett[d]

(died September 12, 1887)

18 Stephen M. White

(acting) (1853–1901)

September 13, 1887

– January 8, 1891 (did not run)

Democratic Succeeded from
president of
the Senate 		Robert Waterman[c]
19 John B. Reddick

(1845–1895)

January 8, 1891

– January 11, 1895 (did not run)

Republican 1890 Henry Markham
20 Spencer G. Millard

(1856–1895)

January 11, 1895

– October 24, 1895 (died in office)

Republican 1894 James Budd[d]
— Vacant October 24, 1895

– October 26, 1895

Office vacated
by death
21 William T. Jeter

(1850–1930)

October 26, 1895[3]

– January 3, 1899 (did not run)

Democratic Appointed by
governor
22 Jacob H. Neff

(1830–1909)

January 3, 1899

– January 6, 1903 (did not run)

Republican 1898 Henry T. Gage
23 Alden Anderson

(1867–1944)

January 6, 1903

– January 8, 1907 (did not run)

Republican 1902 George Pardee
24 Warren R. Porter

(1861–1927)

January 8, 1907

– January 3, 1911 (did not run)

Republican 1906 James Gillett
25 Albert Joseph Wallace

(1853–1939)

January 3, 1911

– January 5, 1915 (did not run)

Republican 1910 Hiram Johnson[e]

(resigned March 15, 1917)

26 John Morton Eshleman

(1876–1916)

January 5, 1915

– February 28, 1916 (died in office)

Progressive 1914
— Vacant February 28, 1916

— July 22, 1916

Office vacated
by death
27 William Stephens

(1859–1944)

July 22, 1916

– March 15, 1917 (succeeded to governor)

Republican Appointed by
governor
— Vacant March 15, 1917

— January 6, 1919

Office vacated
by succession to governor 		William Stephens
28 C. C. Young

(1869–1947)

January 7, 1919

– January 4, 1927 (elected governor)

Republican 1918
1922 Friend Richardson
29 Buron Fitts

(1895–1973)

January 4, 1927

– November 30, 1928 (resigned)[f]

Republican 1926 C. C. Young
— Vacant November 30, 1928

— December 4, 1928

Office vacated
by resignation
30 Herschel L. Carnahan

(1879–1941)

December 4, 1928

– January 6, 1931 (did not run)

Republican Appointed by
governor
31 Frank Merriam

(1865–1955)

January 5, 1931

– June 2, 1934 (succeeded to governor)

Republican 1930 James Rolph

(died June 2, 1934)

— Vacant June 2, 1934

— January 7, 1935

Office vacated
by succession to governor 		Frank Merriam
32 George J. Hatfield

(1887–1953)

January 8, 1935

– January 2, 1939 (did not run)[g]

Republican 1934
33 Ellis E. Patterson

(1897–1985)

January 2, 1939

– January 4, 1943 (lost election)

Democratic 1938 Culbert Olson
34 Frederick F. Houser

(1904–1989)

January 4, 1943

– January 6, 1947 (did not run)[h]

Republican 1942 Earl Warren

(resigned October 4, 1953)

35 Goodwin Knight

(1896–1970)

January 6, 1947

– October 4, 1953 (succeeded to governor)

Republican 1946
1950
36 Harold J. Powers

(1900–1996)

October 5, 1953

– January 5, 1959 (lost election)

Republican Succeeded from
president of
the Senate 		Goodwin Knight
1954
37 Glenn M. Anderson

(1913–1994)

January 5, 1959

– January 2, 1967 (lost election)

Democratic 1958 Pat Brown
1962
38 Robert Finch

(1925–1995)

January 2, 1967

– January 8, 1969 (resigned)[i]

Republican 1966 Ronald Reagan
39 Edwin Reinecke

(1924–2016)

January 8, 1969

– October 2, 1974 (resigned)[j]

Republican Appointed by
governor
1970
40 John L. Harmer

(1934–2019)

October 2, 1974

– January 6, 1975 (lost election)

Republican Appointed by
governor
41 Mervyn Dymally

(1926–2012)

January 6, 1975

– January 8, 1979 (lost election)

Democratic 1974 Jerry Brown[d]
42 Mike Curb

(b. 1944)

January 8, 1979

– January 3, 1983 (did not run)[k]

Republican 1978
43 Leo T. McCarthy

(1930–2007)

January 3, 1983

– January 3, 1995 (did not run)

Democratic 1982 George Deukmejian[c]
1986
1990 Pete Wilson[c]
44 Gray Davis

(b. 1942)

January 3, 1995

– January 4, 1999 (elected governor)

Democratic 1994
45 Cruz Bustamante

(b. 1953)

January 4, 1999

– January 7, 2007 (term-limited)

Democratic 1998 Gray Davis

(recalled November 17, 2003)

2002
Arnold Schwarzenegger[c]
46 John Garamendi

(b. 1945)

January 7, 2007

– November 3, 2009 (resigned)[l]

Democratic 2006
47 Mona Pasquil

(acting) (b. 1962)

November 3, 2009

– April 27, 2010 (successor took office)

Democratic Appointed by
governor[m]
48 Abel Maldonado

(b. 1967)

April 27, 2010

– January 10, 2011 (lost election)

Republican Appointed by
governor
2010

[n]

Jerry Brown[d]
49 Gavin Newsom

(b. 1967)

January 10, 2011

– January 7, 2019 (elected governor)

Democratic
2014
50 Eleni Kounalakis

(b. 1966)

January 7, 2019

– Incumbent[o]

Democratic 2018 Gavin Newsom
2022

Notes

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  1. ↑ Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
  2. ↑ A civilian government was formed in late 1849 prior to official statehood, and operated as the state government for ten months before official statehood was granted.[2]
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Represented the Republican Party
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Represented the Democratic Party
  5. ↑ Represented the Progressive Party starting from the 1914 election
  6. ↑ Fitts resigned to serve as a special prosecutor.
  7. ↑ Hatfield instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor.
  8. ↑ Houser instead ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate.
  9. ↑ Finch resigned to be United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.
  10. ↑ Reineke was forced to resign when convicted and sentenced for perjury; it was later overturned on appeal.
  11. ↑ Curb instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor.
  12. ↑ Garamendi resigned, having been elected to the United States House of Representatives.
  13. ↑ Pasquil was appointed acting lieutenant governor until the nominated replacement, Abel Maldonado, could be confirmed.
  14. ↑ Newsom delayed his swearing in as lieutenant governor until January 10, 2011, to remain mayor of San Francisco; Maldonado stayed on as lieutenant governor until then.[4]
  15. ↑ Kounalakis' second term began on January 2, 2023.

References

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  1. ↑ "About the Office of Lt. Governor". California Office of the Lieutenant Governor. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Peter Hardeman Burnett". National Governors Association. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Governor Budd's Powers". Los Angeles Herald. AP. 1895-10-27. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
  4. ↑ Upton Oot, John (January 7, 2011). "Newsom's Dual Role Raises Legal Quandary". The Bay Citizen. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
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