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Labor Commissioner
The Labor Commissioner is a state level position in all 50 states. The duties of the position vary from state to state, but their general role is to oversee the administration of state laws relating to labor and the workforce.
Elected vs. appointed
As it currently stands, there are only two ways in which an individual is able to be selected to assume the role of State Labor Commissioner - by either being publicly elected by the people of the state through the primary/general election processes, or by being appointed by the governor.
And while the vast majority of the state that do have the statewide governmental position authorize the governor to appoint an individual to the office, there are at least five others who have opted to have public voters select the office holders. These states include Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Oregon.
The current party breakdown of State Labor Commissioners based on whether they are elected by the general public or appointed by the governor of an individual state shows that:
- Of the 4 publicly elected to office, 3 are Republicans while 1 is a Democrat.
- The three states in which Republicans have been elected to the statewide position include Georgia, North Carolina, and Oklahoma.
- Oregon is the only state in which a Democrat has been selected by the people as an office holder.
- Governors in the other 46 states are authorized to appoint individuals as Labor Commissioners.
- 23 are Democrats. These state include Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
- The other 23 are Republican appointees. These states include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Currently appointed
Currently elected
| State | Labor Commissioner | Party | Assumed office | Term ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | Mark Butler |  Republican
|
2011 | 2015 |
| North Carolina | Cherie K. Berry | Republican
|
2001 | 2013 |
| Oklahoma | Mark Costello | Republican
|
2011 | 2015 |
| Oregon | Brad Avakian |  Democratic
|
2008 (Appointed by Governor) | 2012 |
External links
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