List Of Lieutenant Governors Of Rhode Island
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The current lieutenant governor of Rhode Island is
Sabina Matos Sabina Matos (born February 13, 1974) is a Dominican-American politician serving as the 70th lieutenant governor of Rhode Island since April 2021. Sabina Matos is the first Afro-Latina lieutenant governor and the first Dominican-American to hold ...
, who was sworn in on April 14, 2021, after Daniel McKee succeeded to the office of governor. The first lieutenant governor was
George Brown George Brown may refer to: Arts and entertainment * George Loring Brown (1814–1889), American landscape painter * George Douglas Brown (1869–1902), Scottish novelist * George Williams Brown (1894–1963), Canadian historian and editor * G ...
. In Rhode Island, the lieutenant governor and
governor of Rhode Island The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, o ...
are elected on separate
tickets Ticket or tickets may refer to: Slips of paper * Lottery ticket * Parking ticket, a ticket confirming that the parking fee was paid (and the time of the parking start) * Toll ticket, a slip of paper used to indicate where vehicles entered a tol ...
. Seven lieutenant governors have served during a vacancy in the office of governor under the current 1842 constitution: Francis M. Dimond (1853), William C. Cozzens (1863), Charles D. Kimball (1901), Norman Case (1928), John Pastore (1945), and John S. McKiernan (1950).


Deputy governors of the

Colony of Rhode Island The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It was founded by Roger Williams. It was an English colony from 1636 until ...

*
William Brenton William Brenton (c. 1610–1674) was a colonial President, Deputy Governor, and Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and an early settler of Portsmouth and Newport in the Rhode Island colony. Austin and other hist ...
, of Newport; November 1663 – 2 May 1666 *
Nicholas Easton Nicholas Easton (1593–1675) was an early colonial President and Governor of Rhode Island. Born in Hampshire, England, he lived in the towns of Lymington and Romsey before immigrating to New England with his two sons in 1634. Once in the Ne ...
, of Newport; 2 May 1666 – 5 May 1669 * John Clarke, of Newport; 5 May 1669 – 4 May 1670 *
Nicholas Easton Nicholas Easton (1593–1675) was an early colonial President and Governor of Rhode Island. Born in Hampshire, England, he lived in the towns of Lymington and Romsey before immigrating to New England with his two sons in 1634. Once in the Ne ...
, of Newport; 4 May 1670 – 3 May 1671 * John Clarke, of Newport; 3 May 1671 – 1 May 1672 * John Cranston, of Newport; 1 May 1672 – 7 May 1673 *
William Coddington William Coddington (c. 1601 – 1 November 1678) was an early magistrate of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and later of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. He served as the judge of Portsmouth and Newport, governor of Portsmouth ...
, of Newport; 7 May 1673 – 6 May 1674 *
John Easton John Easton (1624–1705) was a political leader in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, devoting decades to public service before eventually becoming governor of the colony. Born in Hampshire, England, he sailed to New England ...
, of Newport; 6 May 1674 – April 1676 * John Cranston, of Newport; 3 May 1676 – 8 November 1678 (became governor) * James Barker, of Newport; 8 November 1678 – 7 May 1679 * Walter Clarke, of Newport; 7 May 1679 – 5 May 1686 *
John Coggeshall, Jr. John Coggeshall Jr. (c. 1624 - 1 October 1708) was a deputy governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The son of Rhode Island President John Coggeshall Sr., he was raised in the village of Castle Hedingham in northeaste ...
, of Newport; 5 May 1686 – June 1686 ''The Royal Charter was suspended from 1686 until 1689.'' *
John Coggeshall, Jr. John Coggeshall Jr. (c. 1624 - 1 October 1708) was a deputy governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The son of Rhode Island President John Coggeshall Sr., he was raised in the village of Castle Hedingham in northeaste ...
, of Newport; 18 April 1689 – 7 May 1690 *
John Greene, Jr. John Greene Jr. (1620 – 27 November 1708) was a deputy governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations who spent almost his entire adult life in the public service of the colony. Born in England, he was the son of John Gree ...
, of Warwick; 7 May 1690 – May 1, 1700 * Walter Clarke, of Newport; May 1, 1700 – May 23, 1714 (died in office) * Henry Tew, of Newport; June 15, 1714 – May 3, 1715 * Joseph Jenckes, of Providence; May 3, 1715 – May 3, 1721 *
John Wanton John Wanton (December 24, 1672 – July 5, 1740) was a governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving for six consecutive terms from 1734 to 1740. He was the son of Edward Wanton who was a ship builder, and who became ...
, of Newport; May 3, 1721 – May 2, 1722 * Joseph Jenckes, of Providence; May 2, 1722 – May 3, 1727 * Jonathan Nichols, of Newport; May 3, 1727 – August 2, 1727 (died in office) *
Thomas Frye Thomas Frye (c. 1710 – 3 April 1762) was an Anglo-Irish artist, best known for his portraits in oil and pastel, including some miniatures and his early mezzotint engravings. He was also the patentee of the Bow porcelain factory, London, ...
, of East Greenwich; August 22, 1727 – May 7, 1729 *
John Wanton John Wanton (December 24, 1672 – July 5, 1740) was a governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving for six consecutive terms from 1734 to 1740. He was the son of Edward Wanton who was a ship builder, and who became ...
, of Newport; May 7, 1729 – May 5, 1734 *
George Hazard George Hazard (9 October 1700 - 1738) was a deputy governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Life George Hazard was the son of George and Penelope (Arnold) Hazard of South Kingstown in the Rhode Island colony. His g ...
, of S. Kingstown; May 5, 1734 – before May 22, 1738 (died in office) *
Daniel Abbott Daniel Abbott (25 April 1682 – 7 November 1760) was a deputy governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. He was the son of Daniel and Margaret (White) Abbott of Providence in the Rhode Island colony and was called Daniel ...
, of Providence; July 5, 1738 – May 1, 1740 * Richard Ward, of Newport; May 1, 1740 – July 15, 1740 (became governor) * William Greene, of Newport; July 15, 1740 – May 4, 1743 * Joseph Whipple, Jr., of Newport; May 4, 1743 – May 1, 1745 * William Robinson, of S. Kingstown; May 1, 1745 – May 7, 1746 * Joseph Whipple, Jr., of Newport; May 7, 1746 – May 6, 1747 * William Robinson, of S. Kingstown; May 6, 1747 – May 4, 1748 * William Ellery, Sr., of Newport; May 4, 1748 – May 2, 1750 * Robert Hazard, of S. Kingstown; May 2, 1750 – May 1, 1751 *
Joseph Whipple, III Joseph Whipple III (July 3, 1725 – 1761) was a merchant in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and a Deputy Governor of the colony. The son of Deputy Governor Joseph Whipple Jr. who was a very wealthy merchant, Whipple wa ...
, of Newport; May 1, 1751 – November 2, 1753 (resigned) *
Jonathan Nichols, Jr. Jonathan Nichols Jr. (October 24, 1712 – September 8, 1756) was a deputy governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. He was the son of former Deputy Governor Jonathan Nichols Sr. and Elizabeth Lawton. Nichols became Dep ...
, of Newport; November 2, 1753 – May 1, 1754 * John Gardner, of Newport; May 1, 1754 – May 7, 1755 *
Jonathan Nichols, Jr. Jonathan Nichols Jr. (October 24, 1712 – September 8, 1756) was a deputy governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. He was the son of former Deputy Governor Jonathan Nichols Sr. and Elizabeth Lawton. Nichols became Dep ...
, of Newport; May 7, 1755 – September 1756 (died in office) * John Gardner, of Newport; September 6, 1756 – January 1764 (died in office) * Joseph Wanton, Jr., of Newport; February 27, 1764 – May 1, 1765 * Elisha Brown, of N. Providence; May 1, 1765 – May 6, 1767 * Joseph Wanton, Jr., of Newport; May 6, 1767 – May 4, 1768 *
Nicholas Cooke Nicholas Cooke (February 3, 1717September 14, 1782) was a governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations during the American Revolutionary War, and after Rhode Island became a state, he continued in this position to become the ...
, of Providence; May 4, 1768 – May 3, 1769 *
Darius Sessions Darius Sessions (17 August 1717 – 27 April 1809) was a deputy governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations during the buildup to the American Revolutionary War. He was heavily involved in moderating the effects of t ...
, of Providence; May 3, 1769 – May 3, 1775 *
Nicholas Cooke Nicholas Cooke (February 3, 1717September 14, 1782) was a governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations during the American Revolutionary War, and after Rhode Island became a state, he continued in this position to become the ...
, of Providence; May 3, 1775 – November 7, 1775 (became governor) * William Bradford, of Bristol; November 7, 1775 – May 6, 1778


Deputy and lieutenant governors of the State of

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

The title of the office was changed to ''Lieutenant Governor'' in 1798.


Lieutenant governors under the constitution, 1843–present


Unusual candidacies

During the 2010 elections, the
Cool Moose Party Robert J. Healey Jr. (May 3, 1957 – March 20, 2016) was an American attorney, businessman, and political activist. He was the founder of Rhode Island's Cool Moose Party, the state's third-largest political party from 1994 until 2002, and was a ...
of
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
submitted Bob Healey as candidate for lieutenant governor. He ran on the proposition that he would attempt to abolish the office of lieutenant governor itself.


References

{{Rhode Island
Lieutenant governors of Rhode Island The current lieutenant governor of Rhode Island is Sabina Matos, who was sworn in on April 14, 2021, after Daniel McKee succeeded to the office of governor. The first lieutenant governor was George Brown. In Rhode Island, the lieutenant gove ...
Lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...