Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee
Encyclopedia
The Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee is the Speaker of the Tennessee Senate
and first in line in the succession to the office of Governor of Tennessee in the event of the death, resignation, or removal from office through impeachment
and conviction of the Governor of the U.S. state
of Tennessee.
Under the Tennessee State Constitution
of 1870, the Speaker of the Senate is elected by the Tennessee State Senate from among its members. The full title of the office is Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate; the title of lieutenant governor
is granted to the Speaker by statutory law
enacted in 1951 in recognition of the fact that the Speaker is the Governor's designated successor; such has been the case since the adoption of the first state constitution and Tennessee statehood in 1796. The job is in theory a part-time one, paying $48,500 per year; the Lieutenant Governor is a member of the Tennessee General Assembly
(the base pay for which is $16,500 per year), which is a legislature
limited to 15 organizational days and 90 legislative days with full pay and expenses in each two-year sitting. The Lieutenant Governor as a member of the Tennessee Senate has a four-year term as a Senator but is subject to reelection by his peers with each new legislature; as the Senators' terms are staggered by class and there could be a 50 percent turnover in membership between one legislature and the next. The current Lieutenant Governor is Ron Ramsey
, who was elected to the post on January 9, 2007 and is the first Republican
to hold the post since Reconstruction. He succeeded John S. Wilder
, who held the post continuously from 1971 to 2007, by far the longest tenure of any person in the office. Wilder was reelected in November 2004, but the former Democratic
majority in the Tennessee Senate was not; this marked the first Republican
majority resulting from an election (as opposed to mid-term party switching
) since Reconstruction. However, Wilder's personal relationship with two long-time Republican members meant that he was reelected Lieutenant Governor in January 2005; Republican party discipline
and promises to endorse primary
opponents for those supporting Wilder apparently precluded a recurrence of this in 2007.
Since Tennessee became a state
in 1796, four Speakers of the Senate have succeeded to the governorship:
Under the Tennessee Constitution, in the event of succession the Speaker does not become "Acting Governor
" or "Interim Governor" but Governor in the fullest sense of the word, much as the Vice President of the United States
becomes President
upon the death or resignation of the President. A major difference is that if the Speaker becomes Governor during the first 18 months of the four-year gubernatorial term that an election for the balance of the term will be held at the next general election. If there are less than 30 months remaining in the term at the time of the succession, the Speaker will serve the entire remainder of the term. This provision has never been put into practice as of 2011; the office of governor of Tennessee has not been vacated since the term of that office was extended to four years.
Tennessee Senate
The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the Tennessee state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly.The Tennessee Senate, according to the state constitution of 1870, is composed of 33 members, one-third the size of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Senators...
and first in line in the succession to the office of Governor of Tennessee in the event of the death, resignation, or removal from office through impeachment
Impeachment
Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....
and conviction of the Governor of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Tennessee.
Under the Tennessee State Constitution
Tennessee State Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Tennessee defines the form, structure, activities, character, and fundamental rules of the U.S. State of Tennessee....
of 1870, the Speaker of the Senate is elected by the Tennessee State Senate from among its members. The full title of the office is Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate; the title of lieutenant governor
Lieutenant governor (United States)
In the United States, 43 of the 50 states have a separate, full-time office of lieutenant governor. In most cases, the lieutenant governor is the highest officer of state after the governor, standing in for that officer when he or she is absent from the state or temporarily incapacitated...
is granted to the Speaker by statutory law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
enacted in 1951 in recognition of the fact that the Speaker is the Governor's designated successor; such has been the case since the adoption of the first state constitution and Tennessee statehood in 1796. The job is in theory a part-time one, paying $48,500 per year; the Lieutenant Governor is a member of the Tennessee General Assembly
Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
(the base pay for which is $16,500 per year), which is a legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
limited to 15 organizational days and 90 legislative days with full pay and expenses in each two-year sitting. The Lieutenant Governor as a member of the Tennessee Senate has a four-year term as a Senator but is subject to reelection by his peers with each new legislature; as the Senators' terms are staggered by class and there could be a 50 percent turnover in membership between one legislature and the next. The current Lieutenant Governor is Ron Ramsey
Ron Ramsey
Ronald Lynn "Ron" Ramsey is the Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee and Speaker of the State Senate. A Republican from Blountville in East Tennessee, Ramsey succeeded long-term Democratic Lieutenant Governor John S...
, who was elected to the post on January 9, 2007 and is the first Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to hold the post since Reconstruction. He succeeded John S. Wilder
John S. Wilder
John Shelton Wilder was an American politician who was a Tennessee state senator from 1959 to 1961 and again from 1967 to 2009 and the 48th lieutenant governor of Tennessee from 1971 to 2007, possibly the longest time anyone has served as Lieutenant Governor or a similar position in the history of...
, who held the post continuously from 1971 to 2007, by far the longest tenure of any person in the office. Wilder was reelected in November 2004, but the former Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
majority in the Tennessee Senate was not; this marked the first Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
majority resulting from an election (as opposed to mid-term party switching
Party switching
Party-switching is any change in political party affiliation of a partisan public figure, usually one currently holding elected office.In many countries, party-switching takes the form of politicians refusing to support their political parties in coalition governments...
) since Reconstruction. However, Wilder's personal relationship with two long-time Republican members meant that he was reelected Lieutenant Governor in January 2005; Republican party discipline
Party discipline
Party discipline is the ability of a parliamentary group of a political party to get its members to support the policies of their party leadership. In liberal democracies, it usually refers to the control that party leaders have over its legislature...
and promises to endorse primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
opponents for those supporting Wilder apparently precluded a recurrence of this in 2007.
Since Tennessee became a state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
in 1796, four Speakers of the Senate have succeeded to the governorship:
- William HallWilliam Hall (governor)William Hall was the Governor of the state of Tennessee from April to October 1829.-Biography:Hall was a native of North Carolina but came to Tennessee while still a young man and became a prosperous farmer as well as a political leader...
, who succeeded upon the resignation of Sam HoustonSam HoustonSamuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
; - Dewitt Clinton SenterDewitt Clinton SenterDewitt Clinton Senter was governor of Tennessee from 1869 to 1871.-Biography:Senter was the son of a Methodist minister and was born in McMinn County, Tennessee. He was admitted to the bar after reading law on his own and passing the examination, a fairly common practice of the era. He was first...
, who succeeded William G. Brownlow, who resigned to accept election to the U.S. SenateUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
; - John I. CoxJohn I. CoxJohn Isaac Cox was Governor of Tennessee from 1905 to 1907.-Biography:Cox was born in Sullivan County, Tennessee, on November 23, 1855, and was the son of a Confederate soldier, which was less common in East Tennessee than in the rest of the state, as East Tennessee was one of the Southern...
, who succeeded James B. FrazierJames B. FrazierJames Beriah Frazier was Governor of Tennessee from 1903 to 1905 and subsequently a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1905 to 1911.-Biography:...
, who resigned as governor after arranging his own appointment to the unexpired term of U.S. Senator William B. BateWilliam B. BateWilliam Brimage Bate was the governor of Tennessee from 1883 to 1887 and subsequently a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1887 until his death...
, who had died in office; and - Henry Hollis HortonHenry Hollis HortonHenry Hollis Horton was Governor of Tennessee from 1927 to 1933.-Biography:Horton was born in Alabama into the family of a Baptist minister. He taught school for six years before being admitted to the bar in 1894. He served several terms in the legislature, and was elected speaker of the...
, who succeeded Austin Peay IVAustin PeayAustin Peay was Governor of Tennessee from 1923 until his death in 1927.-Biography:Peay, a native of Kentucky, moved to Clarksville, Tennessee and opened a law practice in 1896. He was first elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1901 and re-elected in 1903...
, the only Governor of Tennessee to die in office.
Under the Tennessee Constitution, in the event of succession the Speaker does not become "Acting Governor
Acting governor
An acting governor is a constitutional position created in some U.S. states when the governor dies in office or resigns. In some states, the governor may also be declared to be incapacitated and unable to function for various reasons, including illness and absence from the state for more than a...
" or "Interim Governor" but Governor in the fullest sense of the word, much as the Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
becomes President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
upon the death or resignation of the President. A major difference is that if the Speaker becomes Governor during the first 18 months of the four-year gubernatorial term that an election for the balance of the term will be held at the next general election. If there are less than 30 months remaining in the term at the time of the succession, the Speaker will serve the entire remainder of the term. This provision has never been put into practice as of 2011; the office of governor of Tennessee has not been vacated since the term of that office was extended to four years.