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Lieutenant Governor of Florida

Second-highest executive officer of Florida, US

Field	Value
post	Lieutenant Governor
body	Florida
insignia	Seal of Florida.svg
insigniasize	100px
insigniacaption	Seal of the State of Florida
flag	Flag of Florida.svg
flagsize	110px
flagcaption	Flag of the State of Florida
image	Official portrait of Lieutenant Governor of Florida Jay Collins (cropped 1).jpg
incumbent	Jay Collins
incumbentsince	August 12, 2025
department	Government of Florida
termlength	Four years, renewable once consecutively
formation	1865
inaugural	William W. J. Kelly
constituting_instrument	Constitution of Florida
appointer	Direct election
succession	First
(gubernatorial line of succession)
salary	$125,000 (per year)
member_of	Florida Executive Branch
Florida Cabinet
seat	Tallahassee, Florida
residence	None official

(gubernatorial line of succession) Florida Cabinet

The lieutenant governor of Florida is a statewide constitutional office in the executive branch of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the second highest-ranking official in the state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket with the governor for a four-year term.

Official duties dictated to the lieutenant governor under the present Florida Constitution are to serve as the acting governor in the absence of the governor from the state or the disability of the governor, or to become governor in the event of the governor's death, resignation or removal from office via impeachment.

Three lieutenant governors went on to serve as Governor of Florida: Marcellus Stearns, Wayne Mixson, and Buddy MacKay.

The office has been held by Jay Collins since his appointment by Governor Ron DeSantis on August 12, 2025, following predecessor Jeanette Nuñez's resignation to become interim president of Florida International University.

History

The position of lieutenant governor has been used in Florida's government twice in the state's history. The first period spanned from 1865, after the American Civil War, through 1889. During this time, the lieutenant governor was elected independently of the governor. In addition to being first in succession to the governor, the lieutenant governor was the ex officio president of the Florida Senate, and could cast a vote in the case of a tie. After this point the office of President of the Senate was given to an elected member of the Senate, who also served as first in line of succession to the governor.

The current Florida Constitution of 1968 recreated the office of lieutenant governor who is now elected directly along with the governor as a running mate. The lieutenant governor serves as first in the line of succession, but the office of President of the Senate remains with an elected senator. The lieutenant governor has a few prescribed duties and otherwise assists the governor with the duties of the executive branch. The first lieutenant governor under the current Constitution was Ray C. Osborne, who took office in 1969.

The state constitution also forbids anyone from being elected lieutenant governor more than twice.

List of lieutenant governors

;Parties

No.	Name	Image	Took office	Left office	Party	Governor	Notes	The position of Lieutenant Governor of Florida was abolished in 1889 in the Constitution of 1885. It was reestablished in 1969 following a constitutional amendment in 1968.
1	William W. J. Kelly	[[File:William W J Kelly.jpg	100px]]	December 20, 1865	July 4, 1868	Republican	David S. Walker
2	William Henry Gleason	[[File:William Henry Gleason.jpg	100px]]	July 7, 1868	December 14, 1868	Republican	Harrison Reed
3	Edmund C. Weeks	[[File:Edmund Cottle Weeks.jpg	100px]]	January 24, 1870	December 27, 1870	Republican
4	Samuel T. Day	[[File:No image.svg	100px]]	January 3, 1871	June 3, 1872	Republican
5	Marcellus Stearns	[[File:Florida Governor Marcellus Stearns.png	100px]]	January 7, 1873	March 18, 1874	Republican	Ossian B. Hart	Became governor upon the death of O. B. Hart
6	Noble A. Hull	[[File:Noble A Hull.png	100px]]	January 2, 1877	March 3, 1879	Democratic	George Franklin Drew	Resigned to become a U.S. Representative
7	Livingston W. Bethel	[[File:No image.svg	100px]]	January 4, 1881	January 7, 1885	Democratic	William D. Bloxham
8	Milton H. Mabry	[[File:Milton Mabry.jpg	100px]]	January 7, 1885	January 8, 1889	Democratic	Edward A. Perry
9	Ray C. Osborne	[[File:Lt Gov Ray C. Osborne, Official Portrait.jpg	100px]]	January 7, 1969	January 5, 1971	Republican	Claude R. Kirk, Jr.
10	Tom Adams	[[File:Lt. Governor Tom Adams (cropped).jpg	100px]]	January 5, 1971	January 7, 1975	Democratic	Reubin O'Donovan Askew
11	Jim Williams	[[File:James Hunter Williams.jpg	100px]]	January 7, 1975	January 2, 1979	Democratic
12	Wayne Mixson	[[File:John Wayne Mixson.jpg	100px]]	January 2, 1979	January 3, 1987	Democratic	Bob Graham	Became governor upon the resignation of Bob Graham
13	Bobby Brantley	[[File:Lieutenant Governor Bobby Brantley.jpg	100px]]	January 6, 1987	January 8, 1991	Republican	Bob Martinez
14	Buddy MacKay	[[File:Buddy MacKay (official portrait).jpg	100px]]	January 8, 1991	December 12, 1998	Democratic	Lawton Chiles	Became governor upon the death of Lawton Chiles
15	Frank Brogan	[[File:Lt Gov Frank Brogan.jpg	100px]]	January 5, 1999	March 3, 2003	Republican Jeb Bush	Resigned to become President of Florida Atlantic University
16	Toni Jennings	[[File:Toni Jennings2.jpg	100px]]	March 3, 2003	January 2, 2007	Republican	Appointed to replace Brogan
17	Jeff Kottkamp	[[File:Jeff Kottkamp.jpg	100px]]	January 2, 2007	January 4, 2011	Republican	Charlie Crist
18	Jennifer Carroll	[[File:Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll.jpg	100px]]	January 4, 2011	March 12, 2013	Republican Rick Scott	Resigned
19	Carlos Lopez-Cantera	[[File:Lt Gov Carlos Lopez-Cantera Portrait.jpg	100px]]	February 3, 2014	January 7, 2019	Republican	Appointed to replace Carroll
20	Jeanette Nuñez	[[File:Jeanette Nunez official photo.jpg	100px]]	January 8, 2019	February 16, 2025	Republican	Ron DeSantis	Resigned to become President of Florida International University
21	Jay Collins	[[File:Official portrait of Lieutenant Governor of Florida Jay Collins (cropped 1).jpg	100px]]	August 12, 2025	Incumbent	Republican	Appointed to replace Nuñez

List of acting lieutenant governors

;Parties

No.	acting Lt. governor	Image	Took office	Left office	Party	appointed(s) served under	note
	Milton H. Mabry	[[File:Milton Mabry.jpg	100px]]	8 January 1889	8 January 1893	Democratic	Governor of Florida
	Milton Albert Watson	[[File:No image.svg	100px]]	8 January 1893	4 January 1925	Democratic	Governor of Florida
1	Marcellus Mikeson	[[File:No image.svg	100px]]	4 January 1925	18 March 1925	No Party	Governor of Florida
2	N.A. Hull	[[File:No image.svg	100px]]	4 January 1925	3 March 1927	Democratic	Governor of Florida
3	Livingston W. Beth	[[File:No image.svg	100px]]	4 January 1925	7 January 1929	Democratic	Governor of Florida
4	Milton H. Haris	[[File:No image.svg	100px]]	7 January 1929	8 January 1933	Democratic	President of United States
5	A.J. Thompson	[[File:No image.svg	100px]]	8 January 1933	7 January 1945	No Party	President of United States
6	Nathan Mayo	[[File:Nathan_Mayo.jpg	100px]]	8 January 1933	7 January 1945	Democratic	President of United States
7	Nathan Thompson	[[File:No image.svg	100px]]	7 January 1945	7 January 1961	Democratic	President of United States
8	Lee Thompson	[[File:LeeThompson.jpg	100px]]	7 January 1961	7 January 1967	No Party	President of United States
9	Ray C. Osborne	[[File:Lt Gov Ray C. Osborne, Official Portrait.jpg	100px]]	7 January 1967	7 January 1969	Republican	President of United States	Position abolished

References

"Jeanette Nunez introduces herself to FIU as interim president".
(2025-08-12). "Gov. Ron DeSantis taps Jay Collins to be lieutenant governor of Florida".
"The Truth-O-Meter Says: Jennifer Carroll is the "first African-American Republican woman to be part of a statewide ticket in Florida."". [[St. Petersburg Times]] and [[The Miami Herald]].
"Florida Governors".
(1872). "The American Annual Cyclopædia and Register of Important Events of the Year 1871". D. Appleton and Company.

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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