Lieutenant Governor of Florida
Official seal
Incumbent Vacant since March 11, 2013
Term length	4 years, renewable once
Formation	August 25th, 1959
Website	Official Site

The Lieutenant Governor of Florida is a statewide elected office in the government of the U.S. state of Florida. According to the Florida Constitution, the lieutenant governor is elected to a four-year term congruent with that of the Governor of Florida, and succeeds to the office of Governor if it becomes vacant. The office is currently vacant, and the most recent Lieutenant Governor of Florida is Jennifer Carroll, who took office on January 4, 2011 and resigned on March 11, 2013.^[1]

Description and duties [edit]

The lieutenant governor is currently the second-ranking member of the executive branch of the state Government of Florida. The lieutenant governor succeeds to the office of governor if the office becomes vacant, and may also serve as acting governor of the governor is incapacitated or absent from the state.

In the modern setup the lieutenant governor is elected on the same party ticket as the gubernatorial candidate. Although gubernatorial candidates are not required to have a running mate for the party primary elections, the state constitution requires a "joint candidacy" for the general election. Statewide elections for governor, lieutenant governor and the state cabinet take place every four years.

Once elected, the lieutenant governor is first in the line of succession, serving upon vacancy in the office of governor. The position of Lieutenant Governor of Florida was restored with the 1968 revision of the Florida state constitution (See Article IV, Section 2). Prior to 1968, the president of the state senate was first in the line of succession. According to the state constitution, the conditions for succession include impeachment or incapacity of the sitting governor. Incapacity is determined by state supreme court after recommendation by three cabinet members or otherwise certified by the governor with the state custodian of records (the Secretary of State of Florida). The Lieutenant Governor can be impeached for committing a "misdemeanor in office" by the State Legislature, and convicted and thereby removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the State Senate. Two lieutenant governors have assumed the office of Governor since 1968. Wayne Mixson become governor briefly when Bob Graham resigned to assume his elected seat in the U.S. Senate. Buddy MacKay completed the unfinished term of outgoing Governor Lawton Chiles after the late governor died in office.

History [edit]

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.^[2] 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 cast a vote in the case of a tie.^[2] William W. J. Kelly was the first person elected Lieutenant Governor after the position was created by the 1865 Constitution of Florida. The position was officially abolished by the post-Reconstruction Constitution of 1885, with the last Lieutenant Governor, Milton H. Mabry, serving out his term until 1889.^[3] 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 state constitution was again revised in 1968, and the office of Lieutenant Governor was recreated. In the modern period, the Lieutenant Governor is elected directly along with the Governor as his or her running mate. The Lieutenant Governor would serve as first in the line of succession, though the office of President of the Senate would remain with an elected Senator. The Lieutenant governor has a few prescribed duties, and otherwise assists the Governor with the duties of the executive branch.^[3] The first Lieutenant Governor in the modern period was Ray C. Osborne, who took office in 1969.

List of Lieutenant Governors [edit]

William W. J. Kelly, 1st Lieutenant Governor of Florida (1865-1868)

Jennifer Carroll, 18th Lieutenant Governor of Florida

See also [edit]

• Florida
• Florida Constitution
• Florida State Capitol
• List of Governors of Florida
• List of current United States Lieutenant Governors

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• Manuscript Collections of Florida Lieutenant Governors
• The Political Graveyard: Florida: Lieutenant Governors

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