Lieutenant Governor of California

The Lieutenant Governor of California is a constitutional statewide elected office in the executive branch of the state government of the U.S. state of California. 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 of the lieutenant governor are under the current California Constitution are to serve as the president of the California Senate, serve as the acting governor in the absence of the governor from the state or to become the governor in the event of the governor's death, resignation or impeachment.

Lieutenant Governor of California
Seal of California.svg
California State Seal
=
Incumbent
Eleni Kounalakis

since January 7, 2019
Style
  • Madam Lieutenant Governor
  • The Honorable
AppointerGovernor of California
Term lengthFour years, renewable once
Inaugural holderJohn McDougall
FormationCalifornia Constitution
Salary$130,490
Websiteltg.ca.gov

Eleni Kounalakis is the current Lieutenant Governor of California, in office since January 2019, under Gavin Newsom.

List

Lieutenant Governors of the State of California
No. Lieutenant Governor Term in office Party Election Governor[a]
1     John McDougal December 20, 1849

January 9, 1851
Democratic 1849
[b][c]
  Peter Hardeman Burnett
2   David C. Broderick
(acting)
January 9, 1851

January 8, 1852
Democratic John McDougal
3 Samuel Purdy January 8, 1852

January 9, 1856
Democratic 1851 John Bigler
1853
4 Robert M. Anderson January 9, 1856

January 8, 1858
American 1855 J. Neely Johnson
5   Joseph Walkup January 8, 1858

January 9, 1860
Democratic 1857 John B. Weller
6   John G. Downey January 9, 1860

January 20, 1860
Democratic 1859
[d]
Milton Latham
7 Isaac N. Quinn
(acting)
January 20, 1860

January 7, 1861
Democratic John G. Downey
8   Pablo de la Guerra
(acting)
January 7, 1861

January 10, 1862
Democratic
9 John F. Chellis January 10, 1862

December 10, 1863
Republican 1861 Leland Stanford
10 Tim N. Machin December 10, 1863

December 5, 1867
Republican 1863
[e]
Frederick Low
11   William Holden December 5, 1867

December 8, 1871
Democratic 1867 Henry Huntly Haight
12   Romualdo Pacheco December 8, 1871

February 27, 1875
Republican 1871
[f]
Newton Booth
13   William Irwin
(acting)
February 27, 1875

December 9, 1875
Democratic Romualdo Pacheco[g]
14   James A. Johnson December 9, 1875

January 8, 1880
Democratic 1875 William Irwin
15 John Mansfield January 8, 1880

January 10, 1883
Republican 1879 George Clement Perkins
16 John Daggett January 10, 1883

January 8, 1887
Democratic 1882 George Stoneman
17   Robert Waterman January 8, 1887

September 13, 1887
Republican 1886
[h]
Washington Bartlett[i]
18   Stephen M. White
(acting)
September 13, 1887

January 8, 1891
Democratic Robert Waterman[g]
19   John B. Reddick January 8, 1891

January 11, 1895
Republican 1890 Henry Markham
20   Spencer G. Millard January 11, 1895

October 25, 1895
Republican 1894
[j]
James Budd[i]
21   William T. Jeter October 25, 1895

January 3, 1899
Democratic
22   Jacob H. Neff January 3, 1899

January 6, 1903
Republican 1898 Henry Gage
23   Alden Anderson January 6, 1903

January 8, 1907
Republican 1902 George Pardee
24   Warren R. Porter January 8, 1907

January 3, 1911
Republican 1906 James Gillett
25   Albert Joseph Wallace January 3, 1911

January 5, 1915
Republican 1910 Hiram Johnson[k]
26   John Morton Eshleman January 5, 1915

February 28, 1916
Progressive 1914
[l]
Vacant February 28, 1916

July 22, 1916
27   William Stephens July 22, 1916

March 15, 1917
Republican
Vacant March 15, 1917

January 6, 1919
William Stephens
28   C. C. Young January 7, 1919

January 4, 1927
Republican 1918
1922 Friend Richardson
29   Buron Fitts January 4, 1927

November 30, 1928
Republican 1926
[m]
C. C. Young
Vacant November 30, 1928

December 4, 1928
30 Herschel L. Carnahan December 4, 1928

January 6, 1931
Republican
31   Frank Merriam January 5, 1931

June 2, 1934
Republican 1930
[n]
James Rolph
Vacant June 2, 1934

January 7, 1935
Frank Merriam
32 George J. Hatfield January 8, 1935

January 2, 1939
Republican 1934
33   Ellis E. Patterson January 2, 1939

January 4, 1943
Democratic 1938 Culbert Olson
34 Frederick F. Houser January 4, 1943

January 6, 1947
Republican 1942 Earl Warren
35   Goodwin Knight January 6, 1947

October 5, 1953
Republican 1946
1950
[o]
36 Harold J. Powers October 5, 1953

January 5, 1959
Republican Goodwin Knight
1954
37   Glenn M. Anderson January 5, 1959

January 2, 1967
Democratic 1958 Pat Brown
1962
38   Robert Finch January 2, 1967

January 8, 1969
Republican 1966
[p]
Ronald Reagan
39   Edwin Reinecke January 8, 1969

October 2, 1974
Republican
1970
[q]
40 John L. Harmer October 2, 1974

January 6, 1975
Republican
41   Mervyn M. Dymally January 6, 1975

January 8, 1979
Democratic 1974 Jerry Brown[i]
42   Mike Curb January 8, 1979

January 3, 1983
Republican 1978
43 Leo T. McCarthy January 3, 1983

January 3, 1995
Democratic 1982 George Deukmejian[g]
1986
1990 Pete Wilson[g]
44   Gray Davis January 3, 1995

January 4, 1999
Democratic 1994
45   Cruz Bustamante January 4, 1999

January 7, 2007
Democratic 1998 Gray Davis
(recalled November 17, 2003)
2002
Arnold Schwarzenegger[g]
46   John Garamendi January 7, 2007

November 3, 2009
Democratic 2006
[r]
47   Mona Pasquil
(acting)
November 3, 2009

April 27, 2010
Democratic
48   Abel Maldonado April 27, 2010

January 10, 2011
Republican
2010
[s]
Jerry Brown[i]
49   Gavin Newsom January 10, 2011

January 7, 2019
Democratic
2014
50   Eleni Kounalakis January 7, 2019

present
Democratic 2018
[t]
Gavin Newsom

Notes

  1. Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
  2. A civilian government was formed in late 1849 prior to official statehood, and operated as the state government for ten months before official statehood was granted.[1]
  3. Burnett resigned and McDougal succeeded him; as president of the senate, Broderick acted as lieutenant governor for the remainder of the term.
  4. Latham resigned and Downey succeeded him. As president of the senate, Quinn acted as lieutenant governor until the legislative session ended, at which time de la Guerra was elected president of the senate and acted as lieutenant governor for the remainder of the term.
  5. First term under an 1862 constitutional amendment, which lengthened terms to four years.
  6. Booth resigned and Pacheco succeeded him; as president of the senate, Irwin acted as lieutenant governor for the remainder of the term.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Represented the Republican Party.
  8. Bartlett died in office and Waterman succeeded him; as president of the senate, White acted as lieutenant governor for the remainder of the term.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Represented the Democratic Party.
  10. Millard died in office; Jeter was appointed by Budd to succeed him.
  11. Represented the Progressive Party during Stephens' term.
  12. Eshleman died in office; Stephens was appointed to succeed him. Johnson later resigned and Stephens succeeded him; the office remained vacant for the remainder of the term.
  13. Fitts resigned to serve as a special prosecutor; Carnahan was appointed to succeed him.
  14. Rolph died in office and Merriam succeeded him, rendering the office vacant for the remainder of the term.
  15. Warren resigned and Knight succeeded him; as president pro tempore of the senate, Powers succeeded Knight.
  16. Finch resigned to be United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, and Reinecke was appointed to succeed him.
  17. Reineke was forced to resign when convicted and sentenced for perjury; it was later overturned on appeal. Harmer was appointed to succeed him.
  18. Garamendi resigned to take an elected seat in the United States House of Representatives; Maldonado was appointed to succeed him, and Pasquil was appointed to act as lieutenant governor pending Maldonado's confirmation.
  19. Newsom delayed his swearing in as lieutenant governor until January 10, 2011, to remain mayor of San Francisco; Maldonado stayed on as lieutenant governor until then.[2]
  20. Kounalakis' first term expires on January 2, 2023.

References

  1. "Peter Hardeman Burnett". National Governors Association. Archived from the original on November 14, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  2. Upton Oot, John (January 7, 2011). "Newsom's Dual Role Raises Legal Quandary". The Bay Citizen. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2015.