The lieutenant governor of Georgia is a constitutional officer of the State of Georgia, elected to a four-year term by popular vote. Unlike in some other U.S. states, the lieutenant governor is elected on a separate ticket from the Governor of Georgia. Constitutionally, the lieutenant governor's primary job is to serve as President of Georgia's Senate. In the case of incapacity of the governor, the lieutenant governor assumes the powers (but not the title) of the Governor. Should the governor die or otherwise leave office, the lieutenant governor becomes governor for the remainder of the term of office. The office of Lieutenant Governor was created by a state constitutional revision in 1945. Prior to that time, Georgia did not have such an office. Elected in 1946 (for a term to begin in 1947) Georgia's first lieutenant governor,

Melvin E. Thompson Melvin Ernest Thompson (May 1, 1903 – October 3, 1980) was an American educator and politician from Millen in the U.S. state of Georgia. Generally known as M.E. Thompson during his political career, he served as the 70th Governor of Georg ...

became involved in the

three governors controversy The three governors controversy was a political crisis in the U.S. state of Georgia from 1946 to 1947. On December 21, 1946, Eugene Talmadge, the governor-elect of Georgia, died before taking office. The state constitution did not specify who wo ...

. The current lieutenant governor of Georgia is Republican

Geoff Duncan Geoffrey L. Duncan (born April 1, 1975) is an American businessman, politician, and former professional baseball player, serving as the 12th lieutenant governor of Georgia since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Duncan is a former member ...

Eligibility

Article V, Paragraph IV of the Georgia State Constitution details the qualifications for the office of Georgia's lieutenant governor. In order to be eligible for the office a person must have lived in the United States for 15 years and in Georgia for six years and be at least 30 years old.Article V - Georgia Constitution
Accessed July 16, 2008 The Lieutenant Governor of Georgia has no restrictions on the number of times an individual can hold the office.New Georgia Encyclopedia: Lieutenant Governor
Accessed July 16, 2008

Role of the lieutenant governor

Duties

The lieutenant governor's formal duties are limited by the Georgia State Constitution to being President of the Senate and the successor of the Governor whenever the governor dies, resigns or is removed from office via impeachment. The lieutenant governor assumes the gubernatorial powers & duties as ''acting governor'', whenever the governor is disabled Other, informal duties, were initiated by Lieutenant Governor

Marvin Griffin Samuel Marvin Griffin, Sr. (September 4, 1907 – June 13, 1982) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. A lifelong Democrat, Griffin was a native of Bainbridge, Georgia and publisher of the ''Bainbridge Post-Searchligh ...

during his tenure and include naming chairmen to senate committees and "taking an active role in the leadership of the senate." He also began the custom of asking the governor's approval of these appointments. These powers lasted until 2003, when Governor

Sonny Perdue George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III (born December 20, 1946) is an American veterinarian, businessman, politician, and university administrator who served as the 31st United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2017 to 2021. He previously served as t ...

, a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, stripped the lieutenant governor at the time,

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Mark Taylor of those powers, giving them to the president pro tempore of the Senate. In November 2010, the Republican majority voted to change the senate rules, stripping the Lieutenant Governor's ability to appoint the membership of senate committees.

President of the Senate

As President of the Senate the lieutenant governor presides over debate in the Senate and casts a tie-breaking vote in that body if necessary. However, the lieutenant governor is barred from sponsoring legislation.County Snapshots: State of Georgia
Accessed July 17, 2008 The Rules of the Georgia State Senate assign the president of the Senate to appoint two senators to the Committee on Assignments and to serve as the Chair of the committee, but the Chair may only vote in case of a tie. Additionally, the president is a member of and appoints three other members to the Committee on Administrative Affairs. Under the supervision of the State Senate, the President "shall as a matter of course and without debate, report the reference of bills to the proper committee." Senate pages are supervised by the president who "shall establish a program of familiarization with state government, its procedures and those duties and responsibilities which will be required of pages."

List of lieutenant governors of Georgia

;Parties

Living former lieutenant governors of Georgia

, there are three former living lieutenant governors of Georgia, the oldest lieutenant governor of Georgia being

Pierre Howard Pierre DuVinage Howard, Jr. (born February 3, 1943) is an American politician. He served as the ninth Lieutenant Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia. Background Howard was born into a political family, the son of Pierre DuVinage Howard (1912 ...

(served 1991–1999, born 1943). The most recent and most recently serving lieutenant governor to die was

Zell Miller Zell Bryan Miller (February 24, 1932 – March 23, 2018) was an American author and politician from the state of Georgia. A Democrat, Miller served as lieutenant governor from 1975 to 1991, 79th Governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999, and as U. ...

(served 1975–1991, born 1932) on March 23, 2018.

References

External links

Official Website of the Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
{{Lists of lieutenant governors by U.S. state Lieutenant Governor