Lieutenant Governor of Texas

Powers and duties

Under the provisions of the Texas Constitution, the lieutenant governor is president of the Texas Senate. Unlike with most other states' senates and the U.S. Senate, the lieutenant governor regularly presides over the chamber rather than delegating this function to the president pro tempore or a majority leader. By the rules of the Senate, the lieutenant governor establishes all special and standing committees, appoints all chairpersons and members, and assigns all Senate legislation to the committee of his choice. The lieutenant governor decides all questions of parliamentary procedure in the Senate and has broad discretion in following Senate procedural rules.

The lieutenant governor is an ex officio member of several statutory bodies, including the Legislative Budget Board, the Legislative Council, and the Legislative Audit Committee, which have considerable sway over state programs, the budget and policy. The lieutenant governor is also a member of the Legislative Redistricting Board (together with the speaker of the House, attorney general, comptroller, and land commissioner), which is charged with adopting a redistricting plan for the Texas House of Representatives, Texas Senate, or U.S. House of Representatives after the decennial census if the Legislature fails to do so.

The lieutenant governor assumes the powers of the governor of Texas when the governor is out of the state or otherwise unable to discharge the office.

In the case of a vacancy in the lieutenant governor's office, the Senate elects one of its members to act as President of the Senate until the next statewide office election, in effect becoming the lieutenant governor. A senator elected as presiding officer in this way retains their district seat and the voting privileges entailed with his Senate election.

Comparison with other lieutenant governors

Texas is one of the few states that vests significant power in the office of lieutenant governor, making it among the most influential. By contrast, the lieutenant governor position in other states has few (if any) legislative responsibilities, akin to the vice president of the United States.

History

The position of the lieutenant governor was established in the Constitution of 1845 as a successor to the Vice President of the Republic of Texas. The term of office was originally two years. In 1972, voters approved a constitutional amendment that changed the term of office for both the governor and lieutenant governor to four years, starting with the 1974 election.

Succession

The lieutenant governor becomes the governor if the elected governor resigns, dies, or is removed from office via impeachment and conviction. This has occurred seven times:

• In 1853, James W. Henderson briefly succeeded governor Peter Hansborough Bell when the latter resigned to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Henderson served the last 28 days of Bell's term.
• In 1861, Edward Clark succeeded governor Sam Houston when the latter refused to swear an oath to the Confederacy and was removed from office.
• In 1876, Richard B. Hubbard succeeded governor Richard Coke when the latter resigned to serve in the U.S. Senate.
• In 1917, William P. Hobby succeeded governor James E. Ferguson when the latter was impeached and removed from office.
• In 1941, Coke R. Stevenson succeeded governor W. Lee O'Daniel when the latter resigned to serve in the U.S. Senate.
• In 1949, Allan Shivers succeeded governor Beauford H. Jester when the latter died in office.
• In 2000, Rick Perry succeeded governor George W. Bush when the latter resigned to serve as U.S. President.

Additionally, in 1865, Fletcher Stockdale briefly served as acting governor after governor Pendleton Murrah fled to Mexico at the end of the Civil War. He did not officially assume the governorship and was quickly succeeded by a U.S.-appointed provisional governor, Andrew Jackson Hamilton.

Gubernatorial succession in the state has never extended beyond the lieutenant governor.

Party affiliation

Historically, the position has been dominated by the Texas Democratic Party. The first Republican to be elected to the office was J. W. Flanagan in 1868, but he resigned the office before his inauguration to serve in the U.S. Senate. After his resignation, several Republicans served in the office ex officio until 1874, when Democrat Richard B. Hubbard was elected. The next Republican to hold the office was Rick Perry, elected in 1998 and inaugurated in 1999. Since Perry's election, the office has been controlled by Republicans.

Because the lieutenant governor is elected separately from the governor, it is possible for the governor and lieutenant governor to be from different political parties. This has happened three times, all with a Democratic lieutenant governor alongside a Republican governor: twice during the lieutenant governorship of William P. Hobby, Jr. (1979–1983 and 1987–1991, both alongside governor Bill Clements) and during the lieutenant governorship of Bob Bullock (1995–1999 alongside governor George W. Bush).

List of lieutenant governors of Texas

Legend:

Notes

References

References

1. Méndez, María. (September 15, 2022). "Comptroller, railroad commissioner, lieutenant governor: What do Texas state officials actually do?".
2. (October 16, 2014). "Why Is The Lieutenant Governor The Most Powerful Office In Texas? And Who Wants That Power?".
3. Jacobson, Louis. (January 27, 2022). "The Challenges of Electing Governors and Lieutenant Governors Separately".
4. Davis, J. William. (2021-07-21). "The Role and History of the Lieutenant Governor of Texas". [[Texas State Historical Association]].
5. "Lieutenant Governors of Texas, 1846 - present".