Lieutenant Governor of Indiana

Lieutenant Governor of Indiana
Seal of Indiana
Incumbent Micah Beckwith since January 13, 2025
Government of Indiana
Style	Mr Lieutenant Governor
Term length	4 years, no term limits
Inaugural holder	Christopher Harrison November 7, 1816
Formation	Constitution of Indiana 1816
Salary	$194,501 [1]
Website	http://www.in.gov/lg/

The lieutenant governor of Indiana is a constitutional office in the US state of Indiana. Republican Micah Beckwith, who assumed office January 13, 2025, is the incumbent. The office holder's constitutional roles are to serve as the president of the Indiana Senate, become acting governor during the incapacity of the governor, and become governor should the incumbent governor resign, die in office, or be impeached and removed from office. Lieutenant governors have succeeded ten governors following their deaths or resignations. The lieutenant governor holds statutory positions, serving as the head of the state agricultural and rural affairs bureaus, and as the chairman of several state committees.

The lieutenant governor is elected on the same election ticket as the governor in a statewide election held every four years, concurrent with United States presidential elections. Should a lieutenant governor die while in office, resign, or succeed to the governorship, the constitution specifies no mechanism by which to fill vacancies in the lieutenant governor's office. Historically, the position has generally remained vacant during such events. The last attempt to fill such a vacancy in 1887 led to the outbreak of violence in the state legislature known as the Black Day of the General Assembly. However, in recent years the governor has appointed a lieutenant governor if a vacancy arises.

Requirements

The position of lieutenant governor was created with the adoption of the first Constitution of Indiana in August 1816. The position was filled by an October election. The position was retained and the current requirements established in the state's second and current constitution adopted in 1851. ^[2]

To become lieutenant governor, a candidate must have been a United States citizen and lived within Indiana for the period of five consecutive years before the election. The candidate must also be at least thirty years old when sworn into office. The lieutenant governor may not hold any federal office during his term, and must resign from any such position before being eligible to be sworn in as lieutenant governor. Before taking the office, the candidate must swear an oath of office administered by the chief justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, promising to uphold the constitution and laws of Indiana. ^[3]

Succession

Jesse D. Bright, Lieutenant Governor and US Senator from Indiana; he was exiled from the United States during the American Civil War

Oliver P. Morton, Lieutenant Governor, Governor, and US Senator from Indiana

The lieutenant governor serves as acting governor when the governor becomes incapacitated. In the state's early history, lieutenant governors would serve as acting governor while the governor was away from the capital. Christopher Harrison was the first lieutenant governor to serve as acting governor while Jonathan Jennings negotiated treaties far from the capital. ^[4]

If the governor dies in office, becomes permanently incapacitated, resigns, or is impeached, the lieutenant governor becomes governor. ^[5] In total, ten lieutenant governors become governor by succession. ^[6] The first occurrence was when Jonathan Jennings resigned to become a congressman and was succeeded by Ratliff Boon. ^[7]

In the event that both the governorship and lieutenant-governorship are vacant, the constitution stipulates that the Senate president pro tempore becomes governor. ^[8] Historically, governors appointed the pro tempore to serve as acting lieutenant governor as a formality. This practice ended in the early twentieth century. ^[9] Although the constitution did not specify a method to fill a vacancy in the lieutenant governorship, an attempt to fill a vacancy occurred in 1887. When the winner of the election attempted to be seated, the Senate erupted into violence known as the Black Day of the General Assembly; the lieutenant governor-elect was sworn in but never seated. ^[10]

Should the lieutenant governorship become vacant for any reason, including death, resignation, or succession, the governor may nominate a replacement who must be approved by both houses of the General Assembly. ^[8]

Authority

Constitutional

Indiana Statehouse, location of the Lieutenant Governor's office.

The lieutenant governor has two constitutional functions. The primary function is to serve as the president of the Indiana Senate. In the Senate the lieutenant governor is permitted to debate on legislation, introduce legislation, and vote on matters to break ties. As presiding officer in the Senate, lieutenant governors also have partial control over what legislation will be considered, and influence on the legislative calendar. Unless a special session is called by the governor, the Senate meets for no more than 91 days in any two years period, leaving the lieutenant governor free from his or her senatorial duties in the remainder of the year. ^[11]

The secondary function is to serve as a successor to the governorship should it become vacant, or act as governor if necessary. If a lieutenant governor should succeed to the governorship, the office of lieutenant governor and president of the Senate become vacant; the duties are taken over by the Senate president pro tempore. ^[11]

Statutory

The majority of the powers exercised by the lieutenant governor are statutory and have been assigned by the Indiana General Assembly. The first additional powers granted to the lieutenant governor were added in 1932 when the office holder was made the head of the state's agricultural commission. The office's powers have since expanded to include the chairmanship of the Office of Community and Rural Affairs, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, Office of Energy and Defense Development, and the Office of Tourism Development. ^[11] As head of the various office and committees, the lieutenant governor controls many patronage positions and is permitted to fill them by appointment. Important positions filled by the lieutenant governor include the members of the Corn Marketing Council, the Main Street Council, Steel Advisory Commission, and the Indiana Film Commission. ^[12]

In addition to the chairmanship of the committees, the lieutenant governor is also a participating member of the Natural Resources Committee, State Office Building Commission, Air Pollution Control Board, Water Pollution Control Board, and Solid Waste Management Board. ^[12]

The annual salary of the lieutenant governor is set by the Indiana General Assembly and was $76,000 in 2007. ^{[13] [14]}

List of lieutenant governors of Indiana

There have been forty-nine lieutenant governors of Indiana since Indiana became a state in 1816.

   Democratic-Republican (3)   Democratic (22)   Whig (3)   Republican (27)   Independent (1)

#		Image	Lt. Governor	Took office	Left office	Party	Governor	Notes
1			Christopher Harrison	November 7, 1816	December 17, 1818	Democratic-Republican	Jonathan Jennings	[N 1] [N 2] [N 3]
2			Ratliff Boon	December 8, 1819	September 12, 1822			[N 2] [N 4]
3			Ratliff Boon	December 5, 1822	January 30, 1824		William Hendricks	[N 2] [N 4]
4			John H. Thompson	December 7, 1825 [15]	December 3, 1828	Jacksonian		[N 5]
5			Milton Stapp	December 3, 1828	December 7, 1831	Independent	James B. Ray
6			David Wallace	December 7, 1831	December 6, 1837	Whig	Noah Noble
7			David Hillis	December 6, 1837	December 9, 1840		David Wallace
8			Samuel Hall	December 9, 1840	December 6, 1843		Samuel Bigger
9			Jesse D. Bright	December 6, 1843	March 4, 1845	Democratic	James Whitcomb	[N 2] [N 6] [N 7]
10			Paris C. Dunning	December 9, 1846	December 26, 1848			[N 4] [N 8]
11			Jim Lane	December 5, 1849	January 10, 1853		Joseph A. Wright
12			Ashbel P. Willard	January 10, 1853	January 12, 1857
13			Abram A. Hammond	January 12, 1857	October 3, 1860		Ashbel P. Willard	[N 4] [N 9]
14			Oliver P. Morton	January 14, 1861	January 16, 1861	Republican	Henry S. Lane	[N 4]
—			John R. Cravens	January 16, 1861	October 9, 1863	Republican	Oliver P. Morton	acting [N 10] [N 11]
—			Paris C. Dunning	October 9, 1863	January 9, 1865	Democratic
15			Conrad Baker	January 9, 1865	January 23, 1867	Republican		[N 4] [N 1]
16			William Cumback	January 11, 1869	January 13, 1873		Conrad Baker	[N 2] [N 12] [N 13]
17			Leonidas Sexton	January 13, 1873	January 13, 1877		Thomas A. Hendricks
18			Isaac P. Gray	January 13, 1877	November 2, 1880	Democratic	James D. Williams	[N 4]
—			Fredrick Vieche	November 20, 1880	January 8, 1881		Isaac P. Gray	acting [N 14]
19			Thomas Hanna	January 10, 1881	January 12, 1885	Republican	Albert G. Porter
20			Mahlon Dickerson Manson	January 12, 1885	August 3, 1886	Democratic	Isaac P. Gray	[N 2]
21			Robert S. Robertson	January 10, 1887	January 13, 1889	Republican
–			Alonzo G. Smith	November 8, 1886	January 14, 1889	Democratic		acting [N 15] [N 4] [N 16] [N 17]
22			Ira Joy Chase	January 14, 1889	November 24, 1891	Republican	Alvin Peterson Hovey
—			Francis M. Griffith	November 23, 1891	January 9, 1893		Ira Joy Chase
23			Mortimer Nye	January 9, 1893	January 11, 1897	Democratic	Claude Matthews
24			William S. Haggard	January 11, 1897	January 14, 1901	Republican	James A. Mount
25			Newton W. Gilbert	January 14, 1901	January 9, 1905		Winfield T. Durbin
26			Hugh Thomas Miller	January 9, 1905	January 11, 1909		Frank Hanly
27			Frank J. Hall	January 11, 1909	January 13, 1913	Democratic	Thomas R. Marshall
28			William P. O'Neill	January 13, 1913	January 8, 1917		Samuel M. Ralston
29			Edgar D. Bush	January 8, 1917	January 10, 1921	Republican	James P. Goodrich
30			Emmett Forrest Branch	January 10, 1921	April 30, 1924		Warren T. McCray	[N 4]
—			James J. Nejdl	April 30, 1924	January 12, 1925			acting [N 18]
31			F. Harold Van Orman	January 12, 1925	January 14, 1929		Edward L. Jackson
32			Edgar D. Bush	January 14, 1929	January 9, 1933		Harry G. Leslie
33			M. Clifford Townsend	January 9, 1933	January 11, 1937	Democratic	Paul V. McNutt
34			Henry F. Schricker	January 11, 1937	January 13, 1941		M. Clifford Townsend
35			Charles M. Dawson	January 13, 1941	January 8, 1945		Henry F. Schricker
36			Richard T. James	January 8, 1945	January 10, 1948	Republican	Ralph F. Gates
37			Rue J. Alexander	April 14, 1948	January 2, 1949		Henry F. Schricker	[N 2]
38			John A. Watkins	January 10, 1949	January 12, 1953	Democratic
39			Harold W. Handley	January 12, 1953	January 14, 1957	Republican	George N. Craig
40			Crawford F. Parker	January 14, 1957	January 9, 1961		Harold W. Handley
41			Richard O. Ristine	January 9, 1961	January 11, 1965		Matthew E. Welsh
42			Robert L. Rock	January 11, 1965	January 13, 1969	Democratic	Roger D. Branigin
43			Richard E. Folz	January 13, 1969	January 8, 1973	Republican	Edgar Whitcomb
44			Robert D. Orr	January 8, 1973	January 12, 1981		Otis R. Bowen
45			John Mutz	January 12, 1981	January 9, 1989		Robert D. Orr
46			Frank O'Bannon	January 9, 1989	January 13, 1997	Democratic	Evan Bayh
47			Joe Kernan	January 13, 1997	September 13, 2003		Frank O'Bannon	[N 1] [N 4]
48			Kathy Davis	October 20, 2003	January 10, 2005		Joe Kernan
49			Becky Skillman	January 10, 2005	January 14, 2013	Republican	Mitch Daniels
50			Sue Ellspermann	January 14, 2013	March 2, 2016		Mike Pence	[N 19]
51			Eric Holcomb	March 3, 2016	January 9, 2017
52			Suzanne Crouch	January 9, 2017	January 13, 2025		Eric Holcomb
53			Micah Beckwith	January 13, 2025			Mike Braun

Notes

1. Was acting governor.
2. Resigned from office.
3. James Beggs was elected Senate President pro tempore by the Senate to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Christopher Harrison. He held the position until the election of Ratliff Boon (Funk, p. 206).
4. Was elevated to the governorship during his term.
5. Served two terms.
6. Became a United States senator.
7. Godlove S. Orth, a Whig, was elected Senate President pro tempore by the Senate to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Jesse B. Bright. He held the position until the election of Paris C. Dunning (Funk, p. 206).
8. James G. Read was elected Senate President pro tempore by the Senate to fill the vacancy created by the elevation of Paris C. Dunning to the governorship. He held the position until the election of Jim Lane (Funk, p. 206).
9. The Senate did not elect a Senate president pro tempore following Hammond's succession as governor and the position remained vacant until the election of Oliver Morton (Funk, p. 206).
10. After Morton's elevation to the governorship, John R. Cravens served as acting lieutenant governor from 1861 to 1863 (Funk, p. 206).
11. After the resignation of John R. Cravens, Paris C. Dunning served as acting lieutenant governor from 1863 to 1865 (Funk, p. 206).
12. After Conrad Baker's elevation to the governorship, William Cumback served as acting lieutenant governor until his election in 1869.
13. George W. Finley served as acting lieutenant governor following the resignation of William Cumback until the election of Leonidas Sexton (Funk, p. 206).
14. Fredrick Vieche served as acting lieutenant governor following the elevation of Isaac Gray to the governorship until the election of Thomas Hanna.
15. At the general election in November 1886 both parties entered candidates to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Mahlon Manson. Robert S. Robertston, Republican, was elected and sworn into office on January 10, 1886. The Democrat-controlled Senate refused to seat him, declaring that the seat was not vacant and the election was invalid. The Senate then elected Alonzo G. Smith to serve as acting lieutenant governor until the election of Ira Chase. The Indiana Supreme Court ordered the senate to seat Robertson, but violence broke out when he attempted to enter the chamber, preventing him from ever taking office (Funk, p. 204).
16. Francis M. Griffin served as acting lieutenant governor following the elevation of Ira Chase to the governorship. He served until the election of Mortimer Nye.
17. Francis M. Griffin served as acting lieutenant governor following the elevation of Ira Chase to the governorship. He served until the election of Mortimer Nye (Funk, p. 204).
18. James J. Nejdl served as acting lieutenant governor following the elevation of Emmett Branch to the governorship until the election of Harold Van Orman.
19. Sue Ellspermann resigned to become president of Ivy Tech Community College.

References

1. "Pay raises incoming for Indiana's highest elected officials". Indiana Capital Chronicle . Retrieved January 13, 2025.
2. Gugin, p. 10
3. Constitution of Indiana, 5-7
4. Gugin, p. 47
5. Constitution of Indiana, 5-10(b)
6. Gugin, p. 12
7. Gugin, p. 49
8. Constitution of Indiana, 5-10(c)
9. Gugin, p. 14
10. Gugin, pp. 176–177
11. Indiana Chamber, p. 13
12. Indiana Chamber, p. 14
13. Indiana Chamber, p. 12
14. "Information Maintained by the Office of Code Revision Indiana Legislative Services Agency". State of Indiana. November 22, 2008. Retrieved November 23, 2008.
15. "Lt. Governor: Previous Lt. Governors". In.gov. Retrieved December 11, 2016.

Bibliography

• Funk, Arville (1983) [1969]. A Sketchbook of Indiana History. Rochester, Indiana: Christian Book Press.
• Gugin, Linda C.; St. Clair, James E, eds. (2006). The Governors of Indiana. Indianapolis, Indiana: Indiana Historical Society Press. ISBN   0-87195-196-7.
• "Lieutenant Governors". Indiana Historical Bureau. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
• Indiana Chamber (2007). Here's Your Indiana Government. Indiana Chamber of Commerce. ISBN   978-1-883698-79-9.

External links

• "Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Indiana". IN.gov. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
• "Constitution of Indiana, Article Five". Indiana University. Archived from the original on March 10, 2009. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
• "Previous Lt. Governors". State of Indiana. Archived from the original on September 14, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
• "Lieutenant Governors". Indiana Historical Bureau. Retrieved November 24, 2010.