# Lieutenant Governor of Idaho

The lieutenant governor of Idaho is a constitutional statewide elected office in the U.S. state of Idaho. According to the Idaho Constitution, the officeholder is elected to a four-year term.
The current lieutenant governor of Idaho is Republican Scott Bedke, who took office January 2, 2023.

## Powers and duties

The power of the lieutenant governor of Idaho derives from Article IV, Sections 12 and 13 of the Idaho Constitution, which provides that the office is first in line of succession to the governor of Idaho.
It also dictates that the lieutenant governor serves as the presiding officer of the Idaho Senate. The lieutenant governorship has been a constitutional office in Idaho since statehood in 1890. Prior to 1946 the office was elected to two-year terms.
Idaho has had 43 lieutenant governors since 1890. Five people have served twice as Idaho Lieutenant Governor: O. E. Hailey (1927–1929; 1929–1931), G. P. Mix (1931–1933; 1935–1937), Charles C. Gossett (1937–1939; 1941–1943), Donald S. Whitehead (1939–1941; 1947–1951) and Jim Risch (2003–2006; 2007–2009).

## List of lieutenant governors of Idaho

| # | Name | Term of service | Political party |
| 1 | N. B. Willey | October 1890 – December 1890 | Republican |
| 2 | John S. Gray (acting) | December 1890 – September 12, 1891 | Republican |
| Office vacant: September 12, 1891 – January 2, 1893 |||||
| 3 | F. B. Willis | January 2, 1893 – January 7, 1895 | Republican |
| 4 | F. J. Mills | January 7, 1895 – January 4, 1897 | Republican |
| 5 | George F. Moore | January 4, 1897 – January 2, 1899 | Democratic, Populist |
| 6 | J. H. Hutchinson | January 2, 1899 – January 7, 1901 | Silver Republican, Democratic |
| 7 | Thomas F. Terrell | January 7, 1901 – January 5, 1903 | Democratic |
| 8 | James M. Stevens | January 5, 1903 – January 2, 1905 | Republican |
| 9 | Burpee L. Steeves | January 2, 1905 – January 7, 1907 | Republican |
| 10 | Ezra A. Burrell | January 7, 1907 – January 4, 1909 | Republican |
| 11 | Lewis H. Sweetser | January 4, 1909 – January 6, 1913 | Republican |
| 12 | Herman H. Taylor | January 6, 1913 – January 1, 1917 | Republican |
| 13 | Ernest L. Parker | January 1, 1917 – January 6, 1919 | Democratic |
| 14 | Charles C. Moore | January 6, 1919 – January 1, 1923 | Republican |
| 15 | H. C. Baldridge | January 1, 1923 – January 3, 1927 | Republican |
| 16 | O. E. Hailey | January 3, 1927 – January 7, 1929 | Republican |
| 17 | W. B. Kinne | January 7, 1929 – September 30, 1929 | Republican |
| Office vacant: September 30 – October 25, 1929 |||||
| 18 | O. E. Hailey | October 25, 1929 – January 5, 1931 | Republican |
| 19 | G. P. Mix | January 5, 1931 – January 2, 1933 | Democratic |
| 20 | George E. Hill | January 2, 1933 – January 7, 1935 | Democratic |
| 21 | G. P. Mix | January 7, 1935 – January 4, 1937 | Democratic |
| 22 | Charles C. Gossett | January 4, 1937 – January 2, 1939 | Democratic |
| 23 | Donald S. Whitehead | January 2, 1939 – January 6, 1941 | Republican |
| 24 | Charles C. Gossett | January 6, 1941 – January 4, 1943 | Democratic |
| 25 | Edwin Nelson | January 4, 1943 – January 1, 1945 | Republican |
| 26 | Arnold Williams | January 1, 1945 – November 17, 1945 | Democratic |
| Office vacant: November 17, 1945 – March 20, 1946 |||||
| 27 | A. R. McCabe | March 20, 1946 – January 6, 1947 | Democratic |
| 28 | Donald S. Whitehead | January 6, 1947 – January 1, 1951 | Republican |
| 29 | Edson H. Deal | January 1, 1951 – January 3, 1955 | Republicans |
| 30 | J. Berkeley Larsen | January 3, 1955 – January 5, 1959 | Republican |
| 31 | W. E. Drevlow | January 5, 1959 – January 2, 1967 | Democratic |
| 32 | Jack M. Murphy | January 2, 1967 – January 6, 1975 | Republican |
| 33 | John Evans | January 6, 1975 – January 24, 1977 | Democratic |
| Office vacant: January 24–28, 1977 |||||
| 34 | William J. Murphy | January 28, 1977 – January 1, 1979 | Democratic |
| 35 | Phil Batt | January 1, 1979 – January 3, 1983 | Republican |
| 36 | David Leroy | January 3, 1983 – January 5, 1987 | Republican |
| 37 | Butch Otter | January 5, 1987 – January 3, 2001 | Republican |
| Office vacant: January 3–30, 2001 |||||
| 38 | Jack Riggs | January 30, 2001 – January 6, 2003 | Republican |
| 39 | Jim Risch | January 6, 2003 – May 26, 2006 | Republican |
| Office vacant: May 26 – June 15, 2006 |||||
| 40 | Mark Ricks | June 15, 2006 – January 1, 2007 | Republican |
| 41 | Jim Risch | January 1, 2007 – January 3, 2009 | Republican |
| Office vacant: January 3–6, 2009 |||||
| 42 | Brad Little | January 6, 2009 – January 7, 2019 | Republican |
| 43 | Janice McGeachin | January 7, 2019 – January 2, 2023 | Republican |
| 44 | Scott Bedke | January 2, 2023 – present | Republican |

## Passages

| Incumbent | Reason for vacancy | Appointed successor | Date of appointment | Elected successor | Date of election |
| N. B. Willey | Succeeded as Governor December 1890 | John S. Gray | December 1890 | F. B. Willis | November 8, 1892 |
| W. B. Kinne | Died September 30, 1929 | O. E. Hailey | October 25, 1929 | G. P. Mix | November 4, 1930 |
| Arnold Williams | Succeeded as Governor November 17, 1945 | A. R. McCabe | March 20, 1946 | Donald S. Whitehead | November 5, 1946 |
| John Evans | Succeeded as Governor January 24, 1977 | William J. Murphy | January 28, 1977 | Phil Batt | November 7, 1978 |
| Butch Otter | Resigned January 3, 2001 | Jack Riggs | January 30, 2001 | Jim Risch | November 5, 2002 |
| Jim Risch | Succeeded as Governor May 26, 2006 | Mark Ricks | June 15, 2006 | Jim Risch | November 7, 2006 |
| Jim Risch | Sworn into the United States Senate January 6, 2009 | Brad Little | January 6, 2009 | Brad Little | November 2, 2010 |