List of lieutenant governors of California

Last updated October 19, 2024

Below is a list of lieutenant governors of the U.S. state of California, 1849 to present. In California, the Lieutenant Governor and the Governor do not run together on the same ticket. The Lieutenant Governor can therefore be affiliated with a different political party than that of the Governor. Per the 1879 California Constitution, the Lieutenant Governor is the President of the State Senate.

List of lieutenant governors

Lieutenant governors of the State of California
No.	Lieutenant Governor		Term in office	Party	Election
1		John McDougal (1818–1866)	December 20, 1849^{[lower-alpha 2]} – 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
3		Samuel Purdy (1819–1882)	January 8, 1852 – January 9, 1856 (lost election)	Democratic	1853	John Bigler
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	John G. Downey
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 ^{[lower-alpha 3]}
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 ^{[lower-alpha 4]} (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 ^{[lower-alpha 3]}
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 ^{[lower-alpha 4]}
—	Vacant		October 24, 1895 – October 26, 1895	Office vacated by death
21		William T. Jeter (1850–1930)	October 26, 1895^[2] – 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 ^{[lower-alpha 5]} (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	William Stephens
28		C. C. Young (1869–1947)	January 7, 1919 – January 4, 1927 (elected governor)	Republican	1922	Friend Richardson
29		Buron Fitts (1895–1973)	January 4, 1927 – November 30, 1928 (resigned)^{[lower-alpha 6]}	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)^{[lower-alpha 7]}	Republican	1934	Frank Merriam
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)^{[lower-alpha 8]}	Republican	1942	Earl Warren (resigned October 4, 1953)
35		Goodwin Knight (1896–1970)	January 6, 1947 – October 4, 1953 (succeeded to governor)	Republican	1946
35		Goodwin Knight (1896–1970)	January 6, 1947 – October 4, 1953 (succeeded to governor)	Republican	1950
36		Harold J. Powers (1900–1996)	October 5, 1953 – January 5, 1959 (lost election)	Republican	Succeeded from president of the Senate	Goodwin Knight
36		Harold J. Powers (1900–1996)	October 5, 1953 – January 5, 1959 (lost election)	Republican	1954	Goodwin Knight
37		Glenn M. Anderson (1913–1994)	January 5, 1959 – January 2, 1967 (lost election)	Democratic	1958	Pat Brown
37		Glenn M. Anderson (1913–1994)	January 5, 1959 – January 2, 1967 (lost election)	Democratic	1962	Pat Brown
38		Robert Finch (1925–1995)	January 2, 1967 – January 8, 1969 (resigned)^{[lower-alpha 9]}	Republican	1966	Ronald Reagan
39		Edwin Reinecke (1924–2016)	January 8, 1969 – October 2, 1974 (resigned)^{[lower-alpha 10]}	Republican	Appointed by governor
39		Edwin Reinecke (1924–2016)		Republican	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 ^{[lower-alpha 4]}
42		Mike Curb (b. 1944)	January 8, 1979 – January 3, 1983 (did not run)^{[lower-alpha 11]}	Republican	1978	Jerry Brown ^{[lower-alpha 4]}
43		Leo T. McCarthy (1930–2007)	January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1995 (did not run)	Democratic	1982	George Deukmejian ^{[lower-alpha 3]}
					1986	George Deukmejian ^{[lower-alpha 3]}
					1990	Pete Wilson ^{[lower-alpha 3]}
44		Gray Davis (b. 1942)	January 3, 1995 – January 4, 1999 (elected governor)	Democratic	1994	Pete Wilson ^{[lower-alpha 3]}
45		Cruz Bustamante (b. 1953)	January 4, 1999 – January 7, 2007 (term-limited)	Democratic	1998	Gray Davis (recalled November 17, 2003)
					2002	Gray Davis (recalled November 17, 2003)
					2002	Arnold Schwarzenegger ^{[lower-alpha 3]}
46		John Garamendi (b. 1945)	January 7, 2007 – November 3, 2009 (resigned)^{[lower-alpha 12]}	Democratic	2006
47		Mona Pasquil (acting) (b. 1962)	November 3, 2009 – April 27, 2010 (successor took office)	Democratic	Appointed by governor^{[lower-alpha 13]}
48		Abel Maldonado (b. 1967)	April 27, 2010 – January 10, 2011 (lost election)	Republican	Appointed by governor
48		Abel Maldonado (b. 1967)	April 27, 2010 – January 10, 2011 (lost election)	Republican	2010 ^{[lower-alpha 14]}	Jerry Brown ^{[lower-alpha 4]}
49		Gavin Newsom (b. 1967)	January 10, 2011 – January 7, 2019 (elected governor)	Democratic	2010 ^{[lower-alpha 14]}
49		Gavin Newsom (b. 1967)	January 10, 2011 – January 7, 2019 (elected governor)	Democratic	2014
50		Eleni Kounalakis (b. 1966)	January 7, 2019 – Incumbent^{[lower-alpha 15]}	Democratic	2018	Gavin Newsom
50		Eleni Kounalakis (b. 1966)	January 7, 2019 – Incumbent^{[lower-alpha 15]}	Democratic	2022	Gavin Newsom

Notes

↑ Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
↑ 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.^[1]
1 2 3 4 5 Represented the Republican Party
1 2 3 4 Represented the Democratic Party
↑ Represented the Progressive Party starting from the 1914 election
↑ Fitts resigned to serve as a special prosecutor.
↑ Hatfield instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor.
↑ Houser instead ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate.
↑ Finch resigned to be United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.
↑ Reinecke was forced to resign when convicted and sentenced for perjury; it was later overturned on appeal.
↑ Curb instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor.
↑ Garamendi resigned, having been elected to the United States House of Representatives.
↑ Pasquil was appointed acting lieutenant governor until the nominated replacement, Abel Maldonado, could be confirmed.
↑ 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.^[3]
↑ Kounalakis' second term began on January 2, 2023.

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References

General

"History of California Constitutional Officers" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved March 6, 2015.

Constitutions

"Constitution of the State of California". Legislative Counsel of California. 1879. Retrieved July 20, 2008.
"Constitution of the State of California". California Secretary of State. 1849. Archived from the original on January 28, 2010. Retrieved February 27, 2010.

Specific

↑ "Peter Hardeman Burnett". National Governors Association . Retrieved September 6, 2015.
↑ "Governor Budd's Powers". Los Angeles Herald. AP. October 27, 1895. p. 1. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
↑ 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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[1] Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.

[3] 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.^[1]

[gov-rep-4] 1 2 3 4 5 Represented the Republican Party

[gov-dem-5] 1 2 3 4 Represented the Democratic Party

[7] Represented the Progressive Party starting from the 1914 election

[8] Fitts resigned to serve as a special prosecutor.

[9] Hatfield instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor.

[10] Houser instead ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate.

[11] Finch resigned to be United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.

[12] Reinecke was forced to resign when convicted and sentenced for perjury; it was later overturned on appeal.

[13] Curb instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor.

[14] Garamendi resigned, having been elected to the United States House of Representatives.

[15] Pasquil was appointed acting lieutenant governor until the nominated replacement, Abel Maldonado, could be confirmed.

[17] 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.^[3]

[18] Kounalakis' second term began on January 2, 2023.

[2] "Peter Hardeman Burnett". National Governors Association . Retrieved September 6, 2015.

[6] "Governor Budd's Powers". Los Angeles Herald. AP. October 27, 1895. p. 1. Retrieved December 11, 2023.

[16] 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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v t e Lieutenant governors in the United States
Vice President of the United States:▌ Kamala Harris (D)
AL ▌ Ainsworth (R) AK ▌ Dahlstrom (R) AZ ▌ Fontes (D)¹ AR ▌ Rutledge (R) CA ▌ Kounalakis (D) CO ▌ Primavera (D) CT ▌ Bysiewicz (D) DE ▌ Hall-Long (D) FL ▌ Nuñez (R) GA ▌ Jones (R) HI ▌ Luke (D) ID ▌ Bedke (R) IL ▌ Stratton (D) IN ▌ Crouch (R) IA ▌Vacant KS ▌ Toland (D) KY ▌ Coleman (D) LA ▌ Nungesser (R) ME ▌ Jackson (D)² MD ▌ A. Miller (D) MA ▌ Driscoll (D) MI ▌ Gilchrist (D) MN ▌ Flanagan (DFL) MS ▌ Hosemann (R) MO ▌ Kehoe (R) MT ▌ Juras (R) NE ▌ Kelly (R) NV ▌ Anthony (R) NH ▌ Bradley (R)² NJ ▌ Way (D) NM ▌ Morales (D) NY ▌ Delgado (D) NC ▌ Robinson (R) ND ▌ T. Miller (R) OH ▌ Husted (R) OK ▌ Pinnell (R) OR ▌ Read (D)⁴ PA ▌ Davis (D) RI ▌ Matos (D) SC ▌ Evette (R) SD ▌ Rhoden (R) TN ▌ McNally (R)² TX ▌ Patrick (R) UT ▌ Henderson (R) VT ▌ Zuckerman (P) VA ▌ Sears (R) WA ▌ Heck (D) WV ▌ Blair (R)² WI ▌ Rodriguez (D) WY ▌ Gray (R)¹ Federal districts: DC ▌ Mendelson (D)³ Territories: AS ▌ Ale (D) GU ▌ Tenorio (D) MP ▌ Apatang (I) PR ▌ Marrero (PNP)¹ VI ▌ Roach (D)
Italics indicate next-in-line of succession for states and territories without a directly elected lieutenant governor or whose lieutenant governor office is vacant: 1. Secretary of State 2. President of the Senate 3. Council Chair 4. State Treasurer Political party affiliation ▌ Republican: 26 (26 states) ▌ Democratic: 26 (22 states, 3 territories, 1 district) ▌ Vermont Progressive: 1 (1 state) ▌ New Progressive: 1 (1 territory) ▌Independent: 1 (1 territory) ▌Vacant: 1 (1 state)

v t e United States lieutenant governors by political division
States	Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California list Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Jersey New Mexico New York list North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina list South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin
Insular areas	American Samoa Guam Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Virgin Islands
Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico do not have lieutenant governors.

v t e Lieutenant governors of California
McDougal Broderick* Purdy R. Anderson Walkup Downey Quinn* de la Guerra* Chellis Machin Holden Pacheco Irwin* Johnson Mansfield Daggett Waterman White* Reddick Millard Jeter Neff A. Anderson Porter Wallace Eshleman Stephens Young Fitts Carnahan Merriam Hatfield Patterson Houser Knight Powers G. Anderson Finch Reinecke Harmer Dymally Curb McCarthy Davis Bustamante Garamendi Pasquil * Maldonado Newsom Kounalakis
* acting

List of lieutenant governors of California

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