National Lieutenant Governors Association
Encyclopedia
The National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) is the non-profit
, nonpartisan
professional association for elected
or appointed officials who are first in line of succession to the governors
in the 50 U.S. state
s and the five organized territories. (The first official in the line of succession is generally established in the state or territorial constitution
).
(In 2010 New Jersey
will elect its lieutenant governor
). In three states and one territory, this official is the state secretary of state. In five states, the president of the state senate
(the upper house
of the state legislature) is first in line of succession; two of these officials (Tennessee
and West Virginia
) may statutorily use the title lieutenant governor.
Of the elected lieutenant governors (including New Jersey), 25 are elected on a ticket
in the general election
with the gubernatorial candidate as a running mate
. Most states allow the governor to designate his or her running mate, but in some states, the governor and lieutenant governor run separately in the primary election
and are "paired" for the general election. In 18 other states, the lieutenant governor and the governor are elected separately and as a result may be of different political parties
. Lieutenant governors typically are acting governor
when the governor is out of state. Thirty lieutenant governor are presidents of the state Senate, and of these half may cast tie-breaking votes (mirroring the Federal government of the United States
, in which the Vice President of the United States
is the president of the United States Senate
).
(CSG) and was staffed through CSG from 1983 to 1988 with Edward Feigenbaum as director. In 1988, NCLG became financially independent. Gail Manning ran the organization's operations and was named director in 1991; she served until 2002.
In 2002, Julia Hurst became executive director. The same year, the organization adopted its current name and a new logo and launched its website
.
The association office is located in Kentucky
. The full membership meets twice a year, In Washington, DC for its winter meeting and in selected host states for its summer meeting, the two next scheduled for July 27-30, 2011 in Puerto Rico
and its 50th anniversary meeting in 2012 in the city of its founding, Chicago, Illinois. Two partisan organizations, totally independent of NLGA, host Republican and Democratic Lt. Governors conjunctly with NLGA's meetings.
In 2007, NLGA was given the prestigious 'Associations Advance America' recognition by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). NLGA was determined to have one of the six best association programs in the nation for 'Ending Cervical Cancer in our Lifetime,' a nationwide health care campaign. NLGA has also been recognized for its work by Women in Government.
From 2008 - 2010, NLGA conducted 'Your Heart is in Your Hands,' a heart health education campaign in up to fifteen states. A key component is the Lieutenant Governors' Challenge web site at Lieutenant Governors' Challenge at www.ltgovernorschallenge.us. Participants log in and earn points for either physical activity or healthy food choices. This program is nationally recognized by the American College of Cardiology.
The current NLGA Chair is Maryland Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown
, a Democrat.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
, nonpartisan
Nonpartisan (American organizations)
A nonpartisan organization, in American politics, is a non-profit organization organized under United States Internal Revenue Code that qualifies for tax-exempt status because it refrains from engaging in certain prohibited political activities...
professional association for elected
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
or appointed officials who are first in line of succession to the governors
Governor (United States)
In the United States, the title governor refers to the chief executive of each state or insular territory, not directly subordinate to the federal authorities, but the political and ceremonial head of the state.-Role and powers:...
in the 50 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...
s and the five organized territories. (The first official in the line of succession is generally established in the state or territorial constitution
State constitution (United States)
In the United States, each state has its own constitution.Usually, they are longer than the 7,500-word federal Constitution and are more detailed regarding the day-to-day relationships between government and the people. The shortest is the Constitution of Vermont, adopted in 1793 and currently...
).
Lieutenant governors
In 42 states and four territories, this official is a statewide elected lieutenant governorLieutenant 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...
(In 2010 New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
will elect its lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey
The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is a position that has existed since January 2010, following conjoint election with the Governor of New Jersey. The position was created as the result of a Constitutional amendment to the New Jersey State Constitution passed by the voters on November 8, 2005...
). In three states and one territory, this official is the state secretary of state. In five states, the president of the state senate
President of the Senate
The President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate, and is the speaker of other assemblies.The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's succession for its top executive office: for example, the President of the Senate of Nigeria is second in line...
(the upper house
Upper house
An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...
of the state legislature) is first in line of succession; two of these officials (Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
) may statutorily use the title lieutenant governor.
Of the elected lieutenant governors (including New Jersey), 25 are elected on a ticket
Ticket (election)
A ticket refers to a single election choice which fills more than one political office or seat. For example, in the U.S., the candidates for President and Vice President run on the same "ticket", because they are elected together on a single ballot question rather than separately.A ticket can also...
in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
with the gubernatorial candidate as a running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
. Most states allow the governor to designate his or her running mate, but in some states, the governor and lieutenant governor run separately in the primary election
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....
and are "paired" for the general election. In 18 other states, the lieutenant governor and the governor are elected separately and as a result may be of different political parties
Political Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
. Lieutenant governors typically are 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...
when the governor is out of state. Thirty lieutenant governor are presidents of the state Senate, and of these half may cast tie-breaking votes (mirroring the Federal government of the United States
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
, in which 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...
is the president of the United States Senate
United States Senate
The 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...
).
History
The NLGA was founded in 1962, as the National Conference of Lieutenant Governors (NCLG). The organization's first meeting was on December 4, 1962. In 1966, NCLG affiliated with the Council of State GovernmentsCouncil of State Governments
The Council of State Governments is a nonpartisan non-profit organization in the United States serving the state governments. It serves state legislatures, state courts, and executive branch officials and agencies, and is the only multi-branch organization of state governments in the United...
(CSG) and was staffed through CSG from 1983 to 1988 with Edward Feigenbaum as director. In 1988, NCLG became financially independent. Gail Manning ran the organization's operations and was named director in 1991; she served until 2002.
In 2002, Julia Hurst became executive director. The same year, the organization adopted its current name and a new logo and launched its website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
.
Functions
NLGA provides members the opportunity to network, meet, foster interstate cooperation, gain policy knowledge, hone professional skills, share policy work, and promote the effectiveness of the office of lieutenant governor. NLGA does adopt national policy resolutions on subjects of importance to the membership. NLGA Articles provide for the Chairmanship to rotate annually between a Democrat and Republican. The Chair Elect is of the opposite party to the chair and assumes the role of Chair the following year.The association office is located in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. The full membership meets twice a year, In Washington, DC for its winter meeting and in selected host states for its summer meeting, the two next scheduled for July 27-30, 2011 in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and its 50th anniversary meeting in 2012 in the city of its founding, Chicago, Illinois. Two partisan organizations, totally independent of NLGA, host Republican and Democratic Lt. Governors conjunctly with NLGA's meetings.
In 2007, NLGA was given the prestigious 'Associations Advance America' recognition by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). NLGA was determined to have one of the six best association programs in the nation for 'Ending Cervical Cancer in our Lifetime,' a nationwide health care campaign. NLGA has also been recognized for its work by Women in Government.
From 2008 - 2010, NLGA conducted 'Your Heart is in Your Hands,' a heart health education campaign in up to fifteen states. A key component is the Lieutenant Governors' Challenge web site at Lieutenant Governors' Challenge at www.ltgovernorschallenge.us. Participants log in and earn points for either physical activity or healthy food choices. This program is nationally recognized by the American College of Cardiology.
The current NLGA Chair is Maryland Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown
Anthony G. Brown
Anthony G. Brown is a Democratic Party politician from the State of Maryland and is the current Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. He was elected as Maryland’s eighth Lieutenant Governor in 2006 on a ticket with Governor Martin O'Malley. Both were reelected in 2010. He is the second African...
, a Democrat.