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
Seal of the lieutenant governor
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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