Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania

Last updated

Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Flag of Pennsylvania.svg
Flag of Pennsylvania
AustinDavis.jpg
Incumbent
Austin Davis
since January 17, 2023
Residence State House
Term length Four years, renewable once
Inaugural holder John Latta
Formation1873
Salary$157,765 (2014) [1]
Website ltgovernor.state.pa.us

The lieutenant governor is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The lieutenant governor is elected for a four-year term in the same year as the governor. Each party picks a candidate for lieutenant governor independently of the gubernatorial primary. The winners of the party primaries are then teamed together as a single ticket for the fall general election. [2] The lieutenant governor presides in the Pennsylvania State Senate and is first in the line of succession to the governor; in the event the governor dies, resigns, or otherwise leaves office, the lieutenant governor becomes governor. [3] [4] The Lieutenant Governor casts tie breaking votes in the State Senate.

Contents

The office of lieutenant governor was created by the Constitution of 1873. As with the governor's position, the Constitution of 1968 made lieutenant governors eligible to succeed themselves for one additional four-year term. [5] The position's only official duties are serving as president of the state senate and chairing the Board of Pardons and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Council. Lieutenant governors often work on additional projects and have a full schedule of community and speaking events. [6]

Until 2019, Pennsylvania was the only state that provided an official residence, State House at Fort Indiantown Gap, for its lieutenant governor. [6] Constructed in 1940 and previously the governor's "summer residence", it became available for Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor in 1968 when the current governor's residence was completed in Harrisburg. [5] It was transferred to the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs after legislation to do so passed in 2019. [7] [8]

Austin Davis is the current lieutenant governor, having taken office on January 17, 2023.

List of lieutenant governors

Parties

   Democratic (11)   Republican (24)

#ImageNameTermGovernor(s) served underParty
1 John Latta.png John Latta 1875–1879 John F. Hartranft Democratic
2 CharlesWarrenStone.jpg Charles Warren Stone 1879–1883 Henry M. Hoyt Republican
3 Chauncey Forward Black (1839-1904), Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania from 1883 to 1887.jpg Chauncey Forward Black 1883–1887 Robert E. Pattison Democratic
4 William Tecumseh Davies (1831-1912), Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania from 1887-91.jpg William T. Davies 1887–1891 James A. Beaver Republican
5 Louis A. Watres.png Louis Arthur Watres 1891–1895 Robert E. Pattison Republican
6 Walter Lyon (1853-1933), Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania from 1895-1899.jpg Walter Lyon 1895–1899 Daniel H. Hastings Republican
7 John P S Gobin.jpg John P. S. Gobin 1899–1903 William A. Stone Republican
8 William M Brown (circa 1903).jpg William M. Brown 1903–1907 Samuel W. Pennypacker Republican
9 A Snapshot of Pennsylvania Governor Edwin S. Stuart, Lieutenant Governor Robert S. Murphy, and General Horace Porter at the University of Pittsburgh Cornerstone Laying, October 2, 1908 (cropped).jpg Robert S. Murphy 1907–1911 Edwin Sydney Stuart Republican
10 JohnMerrimanReynolds.jpg John M. Reynolds 1911–1915 John K. Tener Republican
11 Francis Bernard McClain.png Frank B. McClain 1915–1919 Martin Grove Brumbaugh Republican
12 Edward E Beidleman (cropped).png Edward E. Beidleman 1919–1923 William Cameron Sproul Republican
13 David J. Davis (1870-1942), Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania from 1923 to 1927.jpg David J. Davis 1923–1927 Gifford Pinchot Republican
14 Arthur H. James (Pennsylvania governor).jpg Arthur H. James 1927–1931 John Stuchell Fisher Republican
15 Edward C. Shannon.jpg Edward C. Shannon 1931–1935 Gifford Pinchot Republican
16 Thos. Kennedy LCCN2014714901.jpg Thomas Kennedy 1935–1939 George Howard Earle III Democratic
17 Samuel S. Lewis 1939–1943 Arthur James Republican
18 John C. Bell Jr. (Pennsylvania governor).jpg John Cromwell Bell Jr. 1943–1947 Edward Martin Republican
19 Daniel B. Strickler (Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor).jpg Daniel B. Strickler 1947–1951 James H. Duff Republican
20 Lloyd H. Wood 1951–1955 John S. Fine Republican
21 Roy E. Furman (1901-1977), Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania (1955-1959) and Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1936-1938).jpg Roy E. Furman 1955–1959 George M. Leader Democratic
22 John Morgan Davis (1906-1984), Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania from 1959 to 1963.jpg John Morgan Davis 1959–1963 David L. Lawrence Democratic
23 GovShaferMay67 N2.tif Raymond P. Shafer 1963–1967 William Scranton Republican
24 Raymond J Broderick.png Raymond J. Broderick 1967–1971 Raymond P. Shafer Republican
25 Ernest P. Kline.png Ernest P. Kline 1971–1979 Milton Shapp Democratic
26 William Scranton III.png William Scranton III 1979–1987 Dick Thornburgh Republican
27 Mark Singel.jpg Mark Singel 1987–1995 Robert P. Casey Democratic
28 Mark S Schweiker 2001.jpg Mark S. Schweiker 1995–2001 Tom Ridge Republican
29 Robert C. Jubelirer 2001–2003 Mark S. Schweiker Republican
30 Catherine Baker Knoll headshot.jpg Catherine Baker Knoll 2003–2008 Ed Rendell Democratic
31 Joe Scarnati.jpg Joseph B. Scarnati III 2008–2011 Ed Rendell Republican
32 Jim Cawley.JPG Jim Cawley 2011–2014 Tom Corbett Republican
33 Liet. Gov. Michael Stack (cropped).jpg Mike Stack 2015–2018 Tom Wolf Democratic
34 Lt. Gov. John Fetterman Portrait (46874790005) (cropped).jpg John Fetterman 2019–2023 Tom Wolf Democratic
35 AustinDavis.jpg Austin Davis 2023–present Josh Shapiro Democratic

List of acting lieutenant governors

Vice-presidents of Pennsylvania

From 1777 to 1790 the executive branch of Pennsylvania's state government was headed by a Supreme Executive Council consisting of a representative of each county and of the City of Philadelphia. The Vice President of the Council—also known as the Vice-President of Pennsylvania—held a position analogous to the modern office of lieutenant governor. Presidents and vice-presidents were elected to one-year terms and could serve up to three years—the full length of their regular term as Counsellor. Ten men served as Vice-President during the time of the Council's existence.

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References

  1. Dawson, Mike (February 20, 2014). "Jay Paterno seeking election as Pa. lieutenant governor". Centre Daily Times . Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  2. "Pennsylvania Election Process". The Morning Call . January 21, 2005. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  3. "The Constitution of Pennsylvania: Article IV §13 — When Lieutenant Governor to act as Governor". Pennsylvania General Assembly . Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  4. "The Constitution of Pennsylvania: Article IV §14 — Vacancy in office of Lieutenant Governor". Pennsylvania General Assembly . Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  5. 1 2 "RG-64, Records of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Agency History". Pennsylvania State Archives. Archived from the original on November 22, 2002. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  6. 1 2 Walmer, Daniel (April 21, 2017). "Pa. has US's only Lt. Gov. mansion. Is it worth the cost?". Lebanon Daily News . Gannett. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  7. Murphy, Jan (December 18, 2019). "Pa. lawmakers are looking to change the picking and the perks of future lieutenant governors". The Patriot-News . Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  8. White, Jaxon (December 30, 2023). "Shapiro purchased automatic dog door, massage sofa and big-screen TVs for Governor's Residence". LNP . Retrieved March 15, 2024 via WESA. in 2019 the General Assembly gave the property at Fort Indiantown Gap to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
  9. "Lt. Gov. Fetterman Submits Written Declaration to General Assembly" (Press Release). Commonwealth of Pennsylvania • The Governor. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  10. Vigna, Paul (May 18, 2022). "Jake Corman to temporarily take over as acting lieutenant governor". PennLive Patriot-News. Advanced Local Media LLC. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  11. Micek, John L. (January 3, 2023). "The Pa. Legislature returns: Three storylines to follow today | Tuesday Morning Coffee". Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Retrieved January 3, 2023.