Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky

Kentucky State Executives

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The Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is an elected Constitutional officer, the second ranking officer of the Executive branch, and the first officer in line to succeed the Governor of Kentucky. The Lieutenant Governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two successive terms.

Current officeholder

See also: Current Lieutenant Governors

The 54th and current lieutenant governor is Jerry Abramson, a Democrat first elected in 2011.

Authority

The state Constitution addresses the office of the governor in Article 6, the Executive Department.

Under Article IV, Section 70:

The Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall be elected for the term of four years by the qualified voters of the State...

Qualifications

Governors
Current Governors
Gubernatorial Elections
2012 • 2011 • 2010 Lists of candidates
Current Lt. Governors
Lt. Governor Elections
2012 • 2011 • 2010
Breaking news

A candidate for lieutenant governor is required to be:

• at least thirty years old
• have resided in the state for at least six years preceding the general election

Elections

See also: Gubernatorial election cycles by state

See also: Election of lieutenant governors

Kentucky belongs to the handful of states that hold off-year elections, that is, elections in off-numbered years that are neither Presidential nor midterm years. In Kentucky's case, elections are held in the year after a midterm and before a Presidential; thus, 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019 are all lieutenant gubernatorial election years. Legally, the inauguration is always held the fifth Tuesday after an election. Thus, December 13, 2011 and December 15, 2015 are inaugural days.

In the event of a tie, a joint session of the legislature shall cast ballots, as set out in § 90.

Vacancies

Details of vacancies are addressed under Article 6, Sections 85 and 87.

Anytime the office of the lieutenant governor is vacant, either because the Lieutenant Governor has become the Governor or because the Lieuteant Governor has died, resigned, or been removed, the President Pro Tem of the Senate is the first officer in the line of succession.

After the President Pro Tem, the office devolves onto the Attorney General and then the Auditor.

Should the Lieutenant Governor vacate her office without an available Senate President Pro Tem or while the General Assembly is in recess, the Attorney General is also responsible for convening the Senate for the purposes of choosing a new President, who can then becme the Acting Lieutenant Governor.

Duties

The lieutenant governor serves as governor of Kentucky under circumstances similar to the vice president of the United States assuming the powers of the presidency.

She has such other responsibilities and duties as the Governor shall assign or delegate, or as law may decree.

Compensation

See also: Comparison of lieutenant gubernatorial salaries

The lieutenant governor's pay is set by law and may not be increased or diminished effective during the current term.

As of 2010, the lieutenant governor is paid $108,720 a year, the 16th highest lieutenant gubernatorial salary in America.

Contact information

700 Capitol Avenue, Suite 142
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
Phone:502-564-2611
Fax:502-564-2849
TDD:502-564-9551

See also

• Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Daniel Mongiardo
• Governor of Kentucky
• Kentucky Attorney General
• Kentucky Secretary of State

External links

Suggest a link

• Office of the Kentucky Lt. Governor