Lieutenant Governor of Texas

Last updated
Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate of Texas
Seal of Lt. Governor of Texas.svg
Dan Patrick Texas (alt crop).jpg
Incumbent
Dan Patrick
since January 20, 2015
Style The Honorable
Term length Four years, no term limits
Inaugural holder Albert Clinton Horton
1846
Formation Texas Constitution
Website Office of the Lieutenant Governor

The lieutenant governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the U.S. It is the second most powerful post in Texas government because its occupant controls the work of the Texas Senate and controls the budgeting process as a leader of the Legislative Budget Board.

Contents

Under the provisions of the Texas Constitution, the lieutenant governor is president of the Texas Senate. Unlike with most other states' senates and the U.S. Senate, the lieutenant governor regularly presides over the chamber rather than delegating this function to the president pro tempore or a majority leader. By the rules of the Senate, the lieutenant governor establishes all special and standing committees, appoints all chairpersons and members, and assigns all Senate legislation to the committee of his choice. The lieutenant governor decides all questions of parliamentary procedure in the Senate. The lieutenant governor also has broad discretion in following Senate procedural rules.

The lieutenant governor is an ex officio member of several statutory bodies, including the Legislative Budget Board, the Legislative Council, and the Legislative Audit Committee, which have considerable sway over state programs, the budget and policy. The lieutenant governor is also a member of the Legislative Redistricting Board (together with the speaker of the House, attorney general, comptroller, and land commissioner), which is charged with adopting a redistricting plan for the Texas House of Representatives, Texas Senate, or U.S. House of Representatives after the decennial census if the Legislature fails to do so.

In the case of a vacancy in the lieutenant governor's office, the Senate elects one of its members to act as President of the Senate until the next statewide office election, in effect becoming the lieutenant governor. A senator elected as presiding officer in this way retains their district seat and the voting privileges entailed with his Senate election. The lieutenant governor is sworn in on the third Tuesday every four years, the same as the governor.

Dan Patrick has been the lieutenant governor of Texas since January 20, 2015.

The term of office was two years from 1846 to 1972. Voters then increased it to four years, effective for the 1974 election. [1]

The lieutenant governor assumes the powers of the governor of Texas when the governor is out of the state or otherwise unable to discharge the office. The lieutenant governor is elected separately from the governor, rather than on the same ticket; it is therefore possible for the governor and lieutenant governor to be from different political parties (which was the case during Governor George W. Bush's first term and also during Bill Clements's two non-consecutive terms). The lieutenant governor becomes the governor if the elected governor resigns, dies or is removed from office via impeachment and conviction. Former governor Rick Perry took office upon George W. Bush's resignation on December 21, 2000, ahead of Bush becoming U.S. president. When Perry became lieutenant governor on January 19, 1999, he became the first Republican since Albert Jennings Fountain in 1873 to serve as lieutenant governor, and the first Republican to be elected as lieutenant governor since James W. Flanagan in 1869.

Compared to other lieutenant governors

Texas is one of the few states that vests significant power in the office of lieutenant governor, making it among the most influential. [2] [3] By contrast, the lieutenant governor position in other states has few (if any) legislative responsibilities, akin to the vice president of the United States. [4]

List of lieutenant governors of Texas

Legend:    Democratic (38)   Republican (4)

List of lieutenant governors of Texas [5]
No.ImageLieutenant GovernorPartyTerm in office Governor
1 Albert Clinton Horton.jpg   Albert Clinton Horton [a] Democratic May 2, 1846

December 21, 1847
James Pinckney Henderson
2 John Alexander Greer.JPG   John Alexander Greer Democratic December 21, 1847

December 22, 1851
George Tyler Wood
Peter Hansborough Bell
3 James w henderson.png   James W. Henderson [b] Democratic December 22, 1851

November 23, 1853
Peter Hansborough Bell
4 David Catchings Dickson.jpg   David Catchings Dickson Democratic December 21, 1853

December 21, 1855
Elisha M. Pease
5 Hardin runnels.png   Hardin Richard Runnels Democratic December 21, 1855

December 21, 1857
Elisha M. Pease
6 Francis lubbock.jpg   Francis Lubbock Democratic December 21, 1857

December 21, 1859
Hardin Richard Runnels
7 Edward clark.jpg   Edward Clark Democratic December 21, 1859

March 16, 1861
Sam Houston
8 John McClannahan Crockett.jpg   John McClannahan Crockett Democratic November 7, 1861

November 5, 1863
Francis Lubbock
9 FLETCHER STOCKDALE.PNG   Fletcher Stockdale Democratic November 5, 1863

June 17, 1865
Pendleton Murrah
VacantJune 17, 1865

August 9, 1866
Fletcher Stockdale
Andrew Jackson Hamilton
10 George Washington Jones (Texas Congressman).jpg   George Washington Jones [c] Democratic August 9, 1866

July 30, 1867
James W. Throckmorton
VacantJuly 30, 1867

January 8, 1870
Elisha M. Pease
James W. Flanagan - Brady-Handy (cropped).jpg   James W. Flanagan [d] Republican January 8, 1870

February 24, 1870
Edmund J. Davis
Vacant [e] February 24, 1870

January 15, 1874
Edmund J. Davis
11 Richard hubbard.jpg   Richard B. Hubbard Democratic January 15, 1874

December 1, 1876
Richard Coke
Vacant [f] December 1, 1876

January 21, 1879
Richard B. Hubbard
12 GovJosephSayers.jpg   Joseph Draper Sayers Democratic January 21, 1879

January 18, 1881
Oran Milo Roberts
13 Leonidas Jefferson Storey.jpg   Leonidas Jefferson Storey Democratic January 18, 1881

January 16, 1883
Oran Milo Roberts
14 Francis Marion Martin.jpg   Francis Marion Martin Democratic January 16, 1883

January 20, 1885
John Ireland
15 Barnett Gibbs.jpg   Barnett Gibbs Democratic January 20, 1885

January 19, 1887
John Ireland
16 Thomas Benton Wheeler.jpg   Thomas Benton Wheeler Democratic January 19, 1887

January 21, 1891
Lawrence Sullivan Ross
17 George Cassety Pendleton.jpg   George C. Pendleton Democratic January 21, 1891

January 17, 1893
Jim Hogg
18 Martin McNulty Crane.jpg   Martin McNulty Crane Democratic January 17, 1893

January 15, 1895
Jim Hogg
19 George Taylor Jester.jpg   George Taylor Jester Democratic January 15, 1895

January 17, 1899
Charles Allen Culberson
20 James Nathan Browning.jpg   James Browning Democratic January 17, 1899

January 20, 1903
Joseph D. Sayers
21 George D. Neal.jpg   George D. Neal Democratic January 20, 1903

January 15, 1907
S. W. T. Lanham
22 Asbury Bascom Davidson.jpg   Asbury Bascom Davidson Democratic January 15, 1907

January 21, 1913
Thomas Mitchell Campbell
Oscar Branch Colquitt
23 Mayes William.jpg   William Harding Mayes Democratic January 21, 1913

August 14, 1914
Oscar Branch Colquitt
VacantAugust 14, 1914

January 19, 1915
Oscar Branch Colquitt
24 William hobby.jpg   William P. Hobby Sr. Democratic January 19, 1915

August 25, 1917
James E. Ferguson
VacantAugust 25, 1917

January 21, 1919
William P. Hobby
25 Willard Arnold Johnson.jpg   Willard Arnold Johnson Democratic January 21, 1919

January 18, 1921
William P. Hobby
26 Lynch Davidson.jpg   Lynch Davidson Democratic January 18, 1921

January 16, 1923
Pat Morris Neff
27 Seal of Lt. Governor of Texas.svg   Thomas Whitfield Davidson Democratic January 16, 1923

January 20, 1925
Pat Morris Neff
28 Barry Miller.jpg   Barry Miller Democratic January 20, 1925

January 20, 1931
Miriam A. Ferguson
Dan Moody
29 Seal of Lt. Governor of Texas.svg   Edgar E. Witt Democratic January 20, 1931

January 15, 1935
Ross S. Sterling
Miriam A. Ferguson
30 Seal of Lt. Governor of Texas.svg   Walter Frank Woodul Democratic January 15, 1935

January 17, 1939
James V. Allred
31 Coke R. Stevenson.jpg   Coke R. Stevenson Democratic January 17, 1939

August 4, 1941
W. Lee O'Daniel
VacantAugust 4, 1941

January 19, 1943
Coke R. Stevenson
32 Seal of Lt. Governor of Texas.svg   John Lee Smith Democratic January 19, 1943

January 21, 1947
Coke R. Stevenson
Beauford H. Jester
33 Allan Shivers.jpg   Allan Shivers Democratic January 21, 1947

July 11, 1949
Beauford H. Jester
VacantJuly 11, 1949

January 16, 1951
Allan Shivers
34 Seal of Lt. Governor of Texas.svg   Ben Ramsey Democratic January 16, 1951

September 18, 1961
Allan Shivers
Price Daniel
VacantSeptember 18, 1961

January 15, 1963
Price Daniel
35 Governor Preston Smith (cropped).jpg   Preston Smith Democratic January 15, 1963

January 21, 1969
John Connally
36 Ben Barnes (cropped).jpg   Ben Barnes Democratic January 21, 1969

January 16, 1973
Preston Smith
37 William P. Hobby Jr..jpeg   William P. Hobby Jr. Democratic January 16, 1973

January 15, 1991
Dolph Briscoe (Democratic)
Bill Clements (Republican)
Mark White (Democratic)
Bill Clements (Republican)
38 Seal of Lt. Governor of Texas.svg   Bob Bullock Democratic January 15, 1991

January 19, 1999
Ann Richards (Democratic)
George W. Bush (Republican)
39 RickPerry2006 (1).jpg   Rick Perry [g] Republican January 19, 1999

December 21, 2000
George W. Bush
40 Seal of Lt. Governor of Texas.svg   Bill Ratliff [h] Republican December 28, 2000

January 21, 2003
Rick Perry
41 David Dewhurst head shot.jpg   David Dewhurst Republican January 21, 2003

January 20, 2015
Rick Perry
42 Dan Patrick Texas (alt crop).jpg   Dan Patrick Republican January 20, 2015

Incumbent [i]
Greg Abbott

Notes

  1. Horton served as Governor pro tempore during James Pinckney Henderson's absence from May 19 to November 13, 1846.
  2. Henderson vacated the office on November 23, 1853 to succeed Peter Hansborough Bell as Governor. Senate president pro tempore Taylor filled the vacancy for roughly a month before Dickson was sworn into office.
  3. Jones was removed by General Philip Sheridan, commander of the Fifth Military District during Reconstruction and the office remained vacant until the 14th Legislature in 1874.
  4. Flanagan was elected lieutenant governor in 1869 but was not inaugurated. He presided over the Provisional session, but left office after being selected as an at-large representative to the U.S. Congress. Due to this, Flanagan is often omitted from some lists of Lieutenant Governors.
  5. Donald Campbell, Webster Flanagan, Albert Jennings Fountain, and Edward Bradford Pickett all served as ex officio Lieutenant Governors between Flanagan's and Hubbard's terms.
  6. Senate president pro tempore Wells Thompson filled in for the vacancy.
  7. Perry vacated the office when he succeeded George W. Bush as Governor of Texas on December 21, 2000.
  8. Ratliff was chosen by the Texas Senate to finish the unexpired term due to the vacancy of Rick Perry's succession to the Governorship. Ratliff served until David Dewhurst was elected in 2002 and inaugurated on January 21, 2003.
  9. Patrick's third term began on January 17, 2023, and will expire January 19, 2027.

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References

  1. Lieutenant Governor from the Handbook of Texas Online
  2. Méndez, María (September 15, 2022). "Comptroller, railroad commissioner, lieutenant governor: What do Texas state officials actually do?". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  3. "Why Is The Lieutenant Governor The Most Powerful Office In Texas? And Who Wants That Power?". KUT Radio, Austin's NPR Station. October 16, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  4. Jacobson, Louis (January 27, 2022). "The Challenges of Electing Governors and Lieutenant Governors Separately". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  5. "Lieutenant Governors of Texas, 1846 - present".