Lieutenant Governor of Alabama

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,[1] abolished in 1875,[2] and recreated in 1901.[3] 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.[4] Earlier constitutions said the powers of the governor devolved upon the successor, rather than them necessarily becoming governor,[5] but the official listing includes these as full governors.[6] The governor and lieutenant governor are not elected on the same ticket.

Lieutenant Governor of Alabama
Incumbent
Will Ainsworth
since January 14, 2019
Government of Alabama
StyleThe Honorable
Term lengthFour years, renewable once
Inaugural holderAndrew J. Applegate
Formation1868
Salary$68,556
Websiteltgov.alabama.gov

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.[7] Andrew J. Applegate was the first person to serve as lieutenant governor.[8] 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.[7]

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.[7]

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.[9] 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.[7]

The state constitution does not provide any remedy in the event the lieutenant governor's office becomes vacant.[7] In such an instance, their role as the presiding officer of the State Senate is assumed by the Senate president pro tempore.[10]

List

Lieutenant governors of the State of Alabama
No. Lieutenant Governor Term in office Party Election Governor[lower-alpha 1]
1   Andrew J. Applegate August 13, 1868

August 21, 1870
Republican 1868
[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3]
  William Hugh Smith
Vacant August 21, 1870

November 26, 1870
2 Edward H. Moren November 26, 1870

November 17, 1872
Democratic 1870 Robert B. Lindsay
3 Alexander McKinstry November 17, 1872

November 24, 1874
Republican 1872 David P. Lewis
4 Robert F. Ligon November 24, 1874

November 28, 1876
Democratic 1874 George S. Houston
Office did not exist from November 28, 1876, to January 19, 1903
5 Russell McWhortor Cunningham January 19, 1903

January 14, 1907
Democratic 1902
[lower-alpha 4]
William D. Jelks
6 Henry B. Gray January 14, 1907

January 17, 1911
Democratic 1906 B. B. Comer
7 Walter D. Seed Sr. January 17, 1911

January 18, 1915
Democratic 1910 Emmet O'Neal
8 Thomas Kilby January 18, 1915

January 20, 1919
Democratic 1914 Charles Henderson
9 Nathan Lee Miller January 20, 1919

January 15, 1923
Democratic 1918 Thomas Kilby
10 Charles S. McDowell January 15, 1923

January 17, 1927
Democratic 1922
[lower-alpha 5]
William W. Brandon
11 William C. Davis January 17, 1927

January 19, 1931
Democratic 1926 Bibb Graves
12 Hugh Davis Merrill January 19, 1931

January 14, 1935
Democratic 1930 Benjamin M. Miller
13 Thomas E. Knight January 14, 1935

May 17, 1937
Democratic 1934
[lower-alpha 6]
Bibb Graves
Vacant May 17, 1937

January 17, 1939
14 Albert A. Carmichael January 17, 1939

January 19, 1943
Democratic 1938 Frank M. Dixon
15 Leven H. Ellis January 19, 1943

January 20, 1947
Democratic 1942 Chauncey Sparks
16 James C. Inzer January 20, 1947

January 15, 1951
Democratic 1946 Jim Folsom
17 James Allen January 15, 1951

January 17, 1955
Democratic 1950 Gordon Persons
18 William G. Hardwick January 17, 1955

January 19, 1959
Democratic 1954 Jim Folsom
19 Albert Boutwell January 19, 1959

January 14, 1963
Democratic 1958 John Malcolm Patterson
20 James Allen January 14, 1963

January 16, 1967
Democratic 1962 George Wallace
21 Albert Brewer January 16, 1967

May 7, 1968
Democratic 1966
[lower-alpha 7]
Lurleen Wallace
Vacant May 7, 1968

January 18, 1971
Albert Brewer
22 Jere Beasley January 18, 1971

January 15, 1979
Democratic 1970
[lower-alpha 8]
George Wallace
1974
23 George McMillan January 16, 1979

January 17, 1983
Democratic 1978 Fob James
24 Bill Baxley January 17, 1983

January 18, 1987
Democratic 1982 George Wallace
25 Jim Folsom Jr. January 18, 1987

April 22, 1993
Democratic 1986 H. Guy Hunt[lower-alpha 9]
1990
[lower-alpha 10]
Vacant April 22, 1993

January 16, 1995
Jim Folsom Jr.
26 Don Siegelman January 16, 1995

January 18, 1999
Democratic 1994 Fob James[lower-alpha 9]
27 Steve Windom January 18, 1999

January 20, 2003
Republican 1998 Don Siegelman[lower-alpha 11]
28 Lucy Baxley January 20, 2003

January 15, 2007
Democratic 2002 Bob Riley[lower-alpha 9]
29 Jim Folsom Jr. January 15, 2007

January 17, 2011
Democratic 2006
30 Kay Ivey January 17, 2011

April 10, 2017
Republican 2010 Robert J. Bentley
2014
[lower-alpha 12][lower-alpha 13]
Vacant April 10, 2017

January 14, 2019
Kay Ivey
31 Will Ainsworth January 14, 2019

Present
Republican 2018
2022

Notes

  1. Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
  2. Applegate took office on August 13, 1868, though Smith took office as governor on July 24, 1868.
  3. Applegate died in office; the office remained vacant for the remainder of the term.[11]
  4. Cunningham acted as governor from April 25, 1904, to March 5, 1905, while Jelks was absent from the state.[12]
  5. McDowell acted as governor from July 10, 1924, to July 11, 1924, while Brandon was absent from the state.[6]
  6. Knight died in office; the office remained vacant for the remainder of the term.[13]
  7. Brewer was acting governor on July 25, 1967, when Wallace had been absent from the state for 20 days; she returned to the state later that day.[6][14] Wallace later died in office, and Brewer succeeded her,[6] rendering the office vacant for the remainder of the term.
  8. Beasley acted as governor from June 5, 1972, to July 7, 1972, while Wallace was absent from the state.[6]
  9. Represented the Republican Party.
  10. Hunt was removed from office[15] and Folsom succeeded him,[6] rendering the office vacant for the remainder of the term.
  11. Represented the Democratic Party.
  12. Bentley resigned[16] and Ivey succeeded him, rendering the office vacant for the remainder of the term.
  13. The vacancy ended on January 14, 2019 when Will Ainsworth took office.

References

General
  • "Alabama Lieutenant Governors". Alabama Department of Archives & History. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
Constitutions
Specific
  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. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
  7. Moody, Brad (March 27, 2023). "Office of the Lieutenant Governor". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Alabama Humanities Alliance. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  8. Shiver, Joshua (March 27, 2023). "Reconstruction Constitutions". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Alabama Humanities Alliance. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  9. "On more look at what's on the Alabama ballot". The Dothan Eagle. Associated Press. November 8, 2022. p. A8.
  10. Lockette, Tim (April 11, 2017). "Governor resigns amid affair scandal, pleads to two charges". The Anniston Star. pp. 1A, 4A.
  11. "Andrew J. Applegate". Alabama Department of Archives and History. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  12. "Russell Cunningham". Alabama Department of Archives and History. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  13. "Thomas E. Knight, Jr". Alabama Department of Archives and History. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  14. Owen, Thomas McAdory (1979). Alabama Official and Statistical Register. Alabama Department of Archives and History. p. 17. Retrieved September 28, 2008.
  15. Nossiter, Adam (12 June 1997). "Ex-Gov. Hunt of Alabama Cleared by Pardon Board". The New York Times. p. 18. Retrieved September 28, 2008.
  16. Blinder, Alan (10 April 2017). "Robert Bentley, Alabama Governor, Resigns Amid Scandal". The New York Times. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
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