President ''pro tempore'' (often shortened to ''pro tem'') of the Texas Senate is a largely honorary position, and is third in the line for the governorship of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. If the

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

and

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 ...

are both out of the state, the president ''pro tem'' is acting governor in their absence. At the beginning of each session, the Senate elects one member to serve as the president pro tempore when the lieutenant governor is absent or that office becomes vacant. A different member of the Senate (usually a senior member, but unlike in some bodies, it is not based on seniority) is elected at the end of the session to serve as president pro tempore during the interim when the state legislature is not in session. Unlike his or her counterparts in other state senates, the president pro tempore does not preside over the chamber on a daily basis; Texas's lieutenant governor regularly exercises his or her constitutional post as president of the state senate.

Presidents ''pro tempore'' of the Texas Senate

References

* {{refend Texas Senate Lists of Texas politicians