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Lieutenant Governor of Alabama

Second-highest elected office in Alabama

Summary

Second-highest elected office in Alabama

FieldValue
postLieutenant Governor
bodyAlabama
insigniaSeal of the Lieutenant Governor of Alabama.svg
insigniasize115
insigniacaptionSeal of the lieutenant governor
imageAlabama Lieutenant Governor visits Lyster Army Health Clinic (cropped).jpg
incumbentWill Ainsworth
incumbentsinceJanuary 14, 2019
styleThe Honorable
departmentGovernment of Alabama
termlengthFour years, renewable once consecutively
inauguralAndrew J. Applegate
formation1868
successionFirst
salary$68,556
website

The lieutenant governor of Alabama is the president of the Alabama Senate, elected to serve a four-year term. The office was created in 1868, abolished in 1875, and recreated in 1901. According to the current constitution, should the governor be out of the state for more than 20 days, the lieutenant governor becomes acting governor, and if the governor dies, resigns or is removed from office (via impeachment), the lieutenant governor ascends to the governorship. Earlier constitutions said the powers of the governor devolved upon the successor, rather than them necessarily becoming governor, but the official listing includes these as full governors. The governor and lieutenant governor are not elected on the same ticket.

History

In 1868, the state of Alabama issued a constitution which provided for the office of lieutenant governor. The document prescribed that the officer was to serve as the president of the State Senate and cast tie-breaking votes in that body, and made them first in line of succession to the governor's office. In 1875, conservative Democrats determined the content of a new constitution which abolished the office in an attempt to reduce the size of state government. Alabama convened another constitutional convention in 1901. During its session, the incumbent governor died. Partly motivated by the lack of a clearly delineated line of gubernatorial succession, the delegates reestablished the office of lieutenant governor with responsibilities similar to those it previously held. Its constitutional responsibilities have been little altered since.

Since the office's inception, 31 people have served as lieutenant governor of Alabama. Of those, only two have served two terms or more. The first woman to hold the office, Lucy Baxley, served from 2003 to 2007.

Duties, powers, and structure

The lieutenant governor serves as president of the State Senate and assumes the office of governor in the event the gubernatorial office becomes vacant. Senate rules empower the lieutenant governor to determine the composition of Senate committees and refer bills to committees of their choosing. As a result, the lieutenant governor typically exercises significant influence over the progress of legislation in the body.

The state constitution does not provide any remedy in the event the lieutenant governor's office becomes vacant.

List

No.Lieutenant GovernorTerm in officePartyElectionGovernor1—234Office did not exist from November 28, 1876, to January 19, 19035678910111213—1415161718192021—22232425—2627282930—31
[[File:No image.svg75px]]Republican Party (United States)}};"Andrew J. Applegate
(1833–1870)
–
August 21, 1870
(died in office)Republican1868Republican Party (United States)}};"
Vacant*
–
November 26, 1870*Office vacated
by death
[[File:Ehmoren.jpg75px]]Democratic Party (United States)}};"Edward H. Moren
(1825–1886)
–
November 25, 1872
(lost election)Democratic1870Democratic Party (United States)}};"
[[File:AlexMcKinstry (cropped).jpg75px]]Republican Party (United States)}};"Alexander McKinstry
(1822–1879)
–
November 24, 1874
(lost election)Republican1872Republican Party (United States)}};"
[[File:Robert F. Ligon.jpg75px]]Democratic Party (United States)}};"Robert F. Ligon
(1823–1901)
–
November 27, 1876
(office abolished)Democratic1874Democratic Party (United States)}};"
[[File:Russell McWhortor Cunningham ca 1904.png75px]]Democratic Party (United States)}};"Russell McWhortor Cunningham
(1855–1921)
–
January 14, 1907
(term-limited)Democratic1902Democratic Party (United States)}};"
[[File:Henry Bramlette Gray.png75px]]Henry B. Gray
(1867–1919)
–
January 16, 1911
(term-limited)Democratic1906
[[File:Walter D. Seed Sr.jpg75px]]Walter D. Seed Sr.
(1864–1959)
–
January 18, 1915
(term-limited)Democratic1910
[[File:Thomas Kilby.jpg75px]]Thomas Kilby
(1865–1943)
–
January 20, 1919
(term-limited)Democratic1914
[[File:Nathan L. Miller.jpg75px]]Nathan Lee Miller
(1866–1933)
–
January 15, 1923
(term-limited)Democratic1918
[[File:No image.svg75px]]Charles S. McDowell
(1871–1943)
–
January 17, 1927
(term-limited)Democratic1922
[[File:William Columbus Davis.png75px]]William C. Davis
(1867–1934)
–
January 19, 1931
(term-limited)Democratic1926
[[File:Judge Hugh D. Merrill.jpg75px]]Hugh Davis Merrill
(1877–1954)
–
January 14, 1935
(term-limited)Democratic1930
[[File:Thomas E. Knight.jpg75px]]Thomas E. Knight
(1898–1937)
–
May 17, 1937
(died in office)Democratic1934
Vacant*
–
January 16, 1939*Office vacated
by death
[[File:No image.svg75px]]Democratic Party (United States)}};"Albert A. Carmichael
(1895–1952)
–
January 18, 1943
(term-limited)Democratic1938
[[File:No image.svg75px]]Leven H. Ellis
(1881–1968)
–
January 20, 1947
(term-limited)Democratic1942
[[File:James C. Inzer (cropped).png75px]]James C. Inzer
(1887–1967)
–
January 15, 1951
(term-limited)Democratic1946
[[File:JamesAllenVA.jpg75px]]James Allen
(1912–1978)
–
January 17, 1955
(term-limited)Democratic1950
[[File:No image.svg75px]]William G. Hardwick
(1910–1993)
–
January 19, 1959
(term-limited)Democratic1954
[[File:Albert Boutwell.jpg75px]]Albert Boutwell
(1904–1978)
–
January 14, 1963
(term-limited)Democratic1958
[[File:JamesAllenVA.jpg75px]]James Allen
(1912–1978)
–
January 16, 1967
(term-limited)Democratic1962
[[File:Albert P. Brewer.jpg116x116px]]Albert Brewer
(1928–2017)
–
May 7, 1968
(succeeded to governor)Democratic1966
(died May 7, 1968)
Vacant*
–
January 18, 1971*Office vacated
by succession to governor
[[File:Jere Beasley.JPG75px]]Democratic Party (United States)}};"Jere Beasley
(b. 1935)
–
January 15, 1979
(term-limited)Democratic1970
1974
[[File:George McMillan (politician).png75px]]George McMillan
(1943–2025)
–
January 17, 1983
(did not run)Democratic1978
[[File:Bill Baxley (cropped).png75px]]Bill Baxley
(b. 1941)
–
January 19, 1987
(did not run)Democratic1982
[[File:Jim Folsom Jr. (cropped).jpg75px]]Jim Folsom Jr.
(b. 1949)
–
April 22, 1993
(succeeded to governor)Democratic1986Republican Party (United States)}};"
(removed April 22, 1993)
1990
Vacant*
–
January 16, 1995*Office vacated
by succession to governorDemocratic Party (United States)}};"
[[File:Don Siegelman at Netroots Nation 2008 (cropped).jpg75px]]Democratic Party (United States)}};"Don Siegelman
(b. 1946)
–
January 18, 1999
(elected governor)Democratic1994Republican Party (United States)}};"
[[File:No image.svg75px]]Republican Party (United States)}};"Steve Windom
(b. 1949)
–
January 20, 2003
(did not run)Republican1998Democratic Party (United States)}};"
[[File:Lucy Baxley.jpg75px]]Democratic Party (United States)}};"Lucy Baxley
(1937–2016)
–
January 15, 2007
(did not run)Democratic2002Republican Party (United States)}};"
[[File:Jim Folsom Jr. (cropped).jpg75px]]Jim Folsom Jr.
(b. 1949)
–
January 17, 2011
(lost election)Democratic2006
[[File:Portrait-Governor-Kay-Ivey (cropped 2).jpg75px]]Republican Party (United States)}};"Kay Ivey
(b. 1944)
–
April 10, 2017
(succeeded to governor)Republican2010
(resigned April 10, 2017)
2014
Vacant*
–
January 14, 2019*Office vacated
by succession to governor
[[File:Alabama Lieutenant Governor visits Lyster Army Health Clinic (cropped).jpg75px]]Republican Party (United States)}};"Will Ainsworth
(b. 1981)
–
IncumbentRepublican2018
2022

Notes

References

;General

;Constitutions

;Specific

References

  1. 1868 Const. art. V, § 1
  2. 1875 Const. art. V, § 1
  3. AL Const. art. V, § 112
  4. AL Const. art. V, § 127
  5. 1819 Const. art. IV, § 18; 1861 Const. art. IV, § 18; 1865 Const. art V, § 19; 1868 Const. art. V, § 15; 1875 Const. art. V § 15
  6. "Alabama Governors". [[Alabama Department of Archives and History]].
  7. Shiver, Joshua. (March 27, 2023). "Reconstruction Constitutions". Alabama Humanities Alliance.
  8. Moody, Brad. (March 27, 2023). "Office of the Lieutenant Governor". Alabama Humanities Alliance.
  9. (November 8, 2022). "On more look at what's on the Alabama ballot". The Dothan Eagle.
  10. (August 25, 2009). "Andrew J. Applegate".
  11. (1868-07-14). "Governor of Alabama Inaugurated". The Daily Standard.
  12. (1868-01-28). "Republican Platform". Daily State Sentinel.
  13. (August 25, 2009). "Edward Hawthorne Moren".
  14. Ala. General Assembly. ''Journal of the House of Representatives''. 1870—71 sess., [https://archive.org/details/alabama-house-journal-1870-1871/HJ_1870_1871/page/n23 25], accessed December 4, 2023
  15. Ala. General Assembly. ''Journal of the Senate''. 1872 sess., [https://archive.org/details/alabama-senate-journal-1872/SJ_1872/page/n33 37], accessed December 3, 2023
  16. (1870-11-01). "Democratic and Conservative Nominations". The Independent Monitor.
  17. (August 25, 2009). "Alexander McKinstry".
  18. (1872-11-26). "Politics in Alabama". The Baltimore Sun.
  19. Ala. General Assembly. ''Journal of the Senate''. 1874—75 sess., [https://archive.org/details/alabama-senate-journal-1874-1875/SJ_1874_Nov_1875_Mar/page/n27 30], accessed December 4, 2023
  20. (1872-11-01). "The Election". The Times-Argus.
  21. (July 19, 2011). "Robert Fulwood Ligon".
  22. Ala. General Assembly. ''Journal of the Senate''. 1874—75 sess., [https://archive.org/details/alabama-senate-journal-1874-1875/SJ_1874_Nov_1875_Mar/page/n37 40], accessed December 4, 2023
  23. (1874-11-03). "Democratic Ticket". The Clarke County Democrat.
  24. (February 7, 2014). "Russell Cunningham".
  25. (1903-01-19). "Governor Took Oath of Office at Noon Today". The Birmingham News.
  26. (1902-11-01). "The Democratic Ticket". The Birmingham News.
  27. "Russell Cunningham". [[Alabama Department of Archives and History]].
  28. (August 25, 2009). "Henry Bramlette Gray".
  29. (1907-01-14). "The New Governor Gives First Order". The Birmingham News.
  30. (1906-11-01). "Democratic Ticket". Franklin County Times.
  31. (August 25, 2009). "Walter Dudley Seed, Sr.".
  32. (1911-01-17). "Thousands See Gov. Emmet O'Neal Inaugurated". The Montgomery Advertiser.
  33. Oberhaus v. State ''ex rel.'' McNamara, [https://books.google.com/books?id=pVotAQAAMAAJ pp. 483–499]
  34. White, David. (January 17, 2011). "Robert Bentley Ready To Take Office As Next Alabama Governor". [[The Birmingham News]].
  35. (1910-11-01). "State and County Democratic Ticket". The Moulton Advertiser.
  36. "Thomas Erby Kilby". [[National Governors Association]].
  37. Breedlove, Michael A.. (June 3, 2021). "Thomas E. Kilby (1919-23)".
  38. Ala. General Assembly. ''Journal of the Senate''. 1915 sess., [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b2882076&seq=354 351], accessed December 4, 2023
  39. (1914-11-03). "Vote Is Light and Little Interest Is Taken in Election". The Birmingham News.
  40. (October 18, 2006). "Nathan L. Miller".
  41. Ala. General Assembly. ''Journal of the Senate''. 1919 sess., [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b2882081&seq=148 145], accessed December 4, 2023
  42. (1918-11-03). "Republicans Have Little Hopes of Winning in State". The Montgomery Advertiser.
  43. (August 25, 2009). "Charles Samuel McDowell, Jr.".
  44. (1923-01-15). "Throngs Gather to Attend Inaugural of Popular Chieftain". The Montgomery Advertiser.
  45. (1922-11-02). "Democratic Nominees". The Cleburne News.
  46. (August 21, 2009). "William Columbus Davis".
  47. Ala. General Assembly. ''Journal of the Senate''. 1927 sess., [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b2881359&seq=146 139], accessed December 4, 2023
  48. (1926-11-01). "Little Doubt in State Vote". The Birmingham Post.
  49. (May 23, 2017). "Hugh Davis Merrill".
  50. (1931-01-19). "Governor Takes Up Duty Without Fuss or Feathers". The Birmingham News.
  51. (1930-11-01). "Party's Leaders Address Rally at Birmingham". The Montgomery Advertiser.
  52. (August 21, 2009). "Thomas E. Knight, Jr.".
  53. Davis, George L.. (1935-01-15). "Col. Bibb Graves Again Assumes Alabama's Helm". The Montgomery Advertiser.
  54. (1934-11-01). "Democratic Party". Shelby County Reporter.
  55. (August 21, 2009). "Albert Carmichael".
  56. (1939-01-16). "Carmichael Takes Oath from Justice". The Huntsville Times.
  57. (1938-11-04). "Election to Be Held Tuesday November 8". The Phenix-Girard Journal.
  58. (August 20, 2009). "Leven Handy Ellis".
  59. (1943-01-20). "Sparks Delivers His Inaugural Speech on Capital Hill Monday". Our Mountain Home.
  60. (1942-11-02). "Small Local Vote Forecast Tomorrow". The Dothan Eagle.
  61. (August 20, 2009). "James Clarence Inzer".
  62. (1947-01-20). "Huge Crowd Sees the Ceremonies". The Birmingham Post.
  63. (1946-11-03). "Vote Control Plan Centers State Ballot". The Decatur Daily.
  64. (August 20, 2009). "James B. Allen".
  65. (1951-01-16). "Persons Takes Oath, Vows He Won't Seek Office Again". Birmingham Post-Herald.
  66. (1950-11-02). "General Election to Be Held Tuesday". The Atmore Advance.
  67. (August 20, 2009). "William Hardwick".
  68. (1955-01-20). "Folsom Takes Oath Chief Executive for Second Time". The Florala News.
  69. (1954-11-02). "Alabama Vote Reported Heavy; Total Ballot May Top 400,000". Alabama Journal.
  70. (August 20, 2009). "Albert Boutwell".
  71. Lake, Clancy. (1959-01-19). "No Segregation Compromise, Patterson Vows". The Birmingham News.
  72. (1958-11-01). "Boutwell Says Legislature Will Correct Docks 'Abuses'". The Birmingham News.
  73. (1963-01-15). "Allen Sworn In, Calls for Progress". Birmingham Post-Herald.
  74. (1962-11-01). "Candidates for State Offices and Congress". The Florence Herald.
  75. "Albert Preston Brewer". [[National Governors Association]].
  76. Harvey, Gordon. (November 13, 2020). "Albert P. Brewer (1968-71)".
  77. (1967-01-17). "Brewer Predicts 'very Progressive 4 Years'". Birmingham Post-Herald.
  78. (1966-11-03). "Voters to Use Four-Party Ballots in Tuesday’s Election". Abbeville Herald.
  79. Owen, Thomas McAdory. (1979). "Alabama Official and Statistical Register". [[Alabama Department of Archives and History]].
  80. Armbrester, Margaret E.. (December 19, 2017). "Jere Beasley Sr. (1972)".
  81. (1971-01-19). "Beasley Sworn In As Lt. Governor". Alabama Journal.
  82. Bennett, James. (1970-11-02). "Five Candidates Are Seeking Seat of Lieutenant Governor". Birmingham Post-Herald.
  83. (August 20, 2009). "George McMillan, Jr.".
  84. Bruer, Frank. (1979-01-16). "Eight State Leaders Take Oaths of Office". Birmingham Post-Herald.
  85. Bubbett, Vic. (1978-11-05). "Election Turnout Unpredictable". The Dothan Eagle.
  86. (August 20, 2009). "Bill Baxley".
  87. Lindsay, Gary. (1983-01-18). "Wallace's Inauguration Reflects 'Hard Times'". The Dothan Eagle.
  88. (1982-10-29). "Cullman Demos Say Omission of Photo Was Unintentional". Birmingham Post-Herald.
  89. "James Elisha Folsom, Jr.". [[National Governors Association]].
  90. Stewart, William H.. (June 1, 2021). "James E. Folsom Jr. (1993-95)".
  91. (1987-01-20). "Guy Hunt Repeats Oath As Governor of Alabama". The Prattville Progress.
  92. (1986-11-03). "Wild Political Season Will Climax Tuesday". Alabama Journal.
  93. (1990-11-07). "Folsom Defeats McKee for Lieutenant Governor". The Montgomery Advertiser.
  94. "Donald Eugene Siegelman". [[National Governors Association]].
  95. Webb, Samuel L.. (June 9, 2021). "Don Siegelman (1999-2003)".
  96. Bryant, Ted. (1995-01-17). "Siegelman inaugurated January 16". Birmingham Post-Herald.
  97. (1994-11-04). "Folsom, Siegelman Have Biggest Banks at Deadline". The Anniston Star.
  98. (November 9, 2012). "Steve Windom".
  99. Benn, Alvin. (1999-01-19). "Windom inaugurated January 18". The Montgomery Advertiser.
  100. Cason, Mike. (1998-11-01). "Windom Holds Four-Point Lead". The Montgomery Advertiser.
  101. (September 10, 2009). "Lucy Baxley".
  102. Johnson, Bob. (2003-01-21). "Baxley sworn in January 20". The Dothan Eagle.
  103. Johnson, Bob. (2002-11-01). "Lieutenant Governor's Race Less Expensive". Birmingham Post-Herald.
  104. Rawls, Phillip. (2007-01-16). "Riley Urges Alabamians to Believe in Brighter Future". The Selma Times-Journal.
  105. Rawls, Phillip. (2006-11-02). "Height – and Size – Matters in Race for Lieutenant Governor". The Anniston Star.
  106. "Kay Ivey". [[National Governors Association]].
  107. Wilson, Claire. (May 1, 2020). "Kay Ivey (2017- )".
  108. (2011-01-18). "New Lt. Gov. Notes Historic Nature of Term". The Selma Times-Journal.
  109. Rawls, Phillip. (2010-11-04). "Ivey ran as a Republican". The Montgomery Advertiser.
  110. Brownlee, Chip. (2019-01-15). "Ainsworth pushes better education, more ethical government in inaugural speech". Alabama Political Reporter.
  111. (2018-11-01). "Lt. Gov. Candidate's Wife Hurt in Accident". The Montgomery Advertiser.
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