# Lieutenant Governor of Michigan

The lieutenant governor of Michigan is the second-ranking official in U.S. state of Michigan, behind the governor.
The current lieutenant governor is Garlin Gilchrist, a Democrat, who has held the office since January 1, 2019.

## Process

In Michigan, the governor and lieutenant governor are elected as a ticket to serve a term of four years. The election takes place two years after each presidential election; thus, the next election will take place in November 2026.

### Nomination

Following the August primary election in each gubernatorial election year, the state's two largest political parties convene a state convention and nominate candidates for lieutenant governor, secretary of state and attorney general, among other offices. Because the governor and lieutenant governor are elected as a ticket, the party's gubernatorial nominee usually makes the de facto decision as to whom the party will nominate for lieutenant governor, then convention delegates officially confirm the designation.
Historically, the governor and lieutenant governor were elected separately, leading to occasions where Republicans controlled one office and the Democrats another (as with George Romney and T. John Lesinski). This changed with the Michigan Constitution of 1963.

### Election and inauguration

After the November general election, the governor and lieutenant governor take office on January 1. Thus, the winners of the 2022 election began their term on January 1, 2023.

### Term limits

Like the governor, the lieutenant governor is allowed to serve up to two terms in office.

## Duties

There are three main duties assigned to the lieutenant governor:
* to serve as acting governor while the governor is out of state;
* to become governor if the governor is unable to serve due to death, illness or incapacitation; and
* to preside over the Michigan Senate.
These days, the lieutenant governor also acts as an assistant to the governor. When the governor is unable to attend a function, for instance, the lieutenant governor may be sent in place of the governor. The lieutenant governor will also occasionally head blue-ribbon commissions into pressing public policy issues.

## List of lieutenant governors
### Parties

Democratic (18)  Republican (43)  Whig (3)
| # | Lieutenant Governor | Term in office | Political party | Governor(s) |
| 1 | Edward Mundy | 1835–1840 | Democratic | Stevens T. Mason (D) |
| 2 | James Wright Gordon | 1840–1841 | Whig | William Woodbridge (W) |
| 3 | Thomas J. Drake | 1841–1842 | Whig | James Wright Gordon (W) |
| 4 | Origen D. Richardson | 1842–1846 | Whig | John S. Barry (D) |
| 5 | William L. Greenly | 1846–1847 | Democratic | Alpheus Felch (D) |
| 6 | Charles P. Bush | 1847–1848 | Democratic | William L. Greenly (D) |
| 7 | William M. Fenton | 1848–1852 | Democratic | Epaphroditus Ransom (D) John S. Barry (D) |
| 8 | Calvin Britain | 1852–1853 | Democratic | Robert McClelland (D) |
| 9 | Andrew Parsons | 1853 | Democratic | Robert McClelland (D) |
| 10 | George Griswold | 1853–1855 | Democratic | Andrew Parsons (D) |
| 11 | George Coe | 1855–1859 | Republican | Kinsley S. Bingham (R) |
| 12 | Edmund Burke Fairfield | 1859–1861 | Republican | Moses Wisner (R) |
| 13 | James M. Birney | 1861 | Republican | Austin Blair (R) |
| 14 | Joseph R. Williams | 1861 | Republican | Austin Blair (R) |
| 15 | Henry T. Backus | 1861–1863 | Republican | Austin Blair (R) |
| 16 | Charles S. May | 1863–1865 | Republican | Austin Blair (R) |
| 17 | Ebenezer O. Grosvenor | 1865–1867 | Republican | Henry H. Crapo (R) |
| 18 | Dwight May | 1867–1869 | Republican | Henry H. Crapo (R) |
| 19 | Morgan Bates | 1869–1873 | Republican | Henry P. Baldwin (R) |
| 20 | Henry H. Holt | 1873–1877 | Republican | John J. Bagley (R) |
| 21 | Alonzo Sessions | 1877–1881 | Republican | Charles Croswell (R) |
| 22 | Moreau S. Crosby | 1881–1885 | Republican | David Jerome (R) Josiah Begole (D) |
| 23 | Archibald Buttars | 1885–1887 | Republican | Russell A. Alger (R) |
| 24 | James H. MacDonald | 1887–1889 | Republican | Cyrus G. Luce (R) |
| 25 | William Ball | 1889–1891 | Republican | Cyrus G. Luce (R) |
| 26 | John Strong | 1891–1893 | Democratic | Edwin B. Winans (D) |
| 27 | J. Wight Giddings | 1893–1895 | Republican | John Treadway Rich (R) |
| 28 | Alfred Milnes | 1895 | Republican | John Treadway Rich (R) |
| 29 | Joseph R. McLaughlin | 1895–1897 | Republican | John Treadway Rich (R) |
| 30 | Thomas B. Dunstan | 1897–1899 | Republican | Hazen S. Pingree (R) |
| 31 | Orrin W. Robinson | 1899–1903 | Republican | Hazen S. Pingree (R) Aaron T. Bliss (R) |
| 32 | Alexander Maitland | 1903–1907 | Republican | Aaron T. Bliss (R) Fred M. Warner (R) |
| 33 | Patrick H. Kelley | 1907–1911 | Republican | Fred M. Warner (R) |
| 34 | John Q. Ross | 1911–1915 | Republican | Chase Osborn (R) Woodbridge N. Ferris (D) |
| 35 | Luren Dickinson | 1915–1921 | Republican | Woodbridge N. Ferris (D) Albert Sleeper (R) |
| 36 | Thomas Read | 1921–1925 | Republican | Alex J. Groesbeck (R) |
| 37 | George W. Welsh | 1925–1927 | Republican | Alex J. Groesbeck (R) |
| 38 | Luren Dickinson | 1927–1933 | Republican | Fred W. Green (R) Wilber M. Brucker (R) |
| 39 | Allen E. Stebbins | 1933–1935 | Democratic | William Comstock (D) |
| 40 | Thomas Read | 1935–1937 | Republican | Frank Fitzgerald (R) |
| 41 | Leo J. Nowicki | 1937–1939 | Democratic | Frank Murphy (D) |
| 42 | Luren Dickinson | 1939 | Republican | Frank Fitzgerald (R) |
| Office vacant from March 16, 1939 – November 19, 1940 |||||||
| 43 | Matilda Dodge Wilson | 1940–1941 | Republican | Luren Dickinson (R) |
| 44 | Frank Murphy | 1941–1943 | Democratic | Murray Van Wagoner (D) |
| 45 | Eugene C. Keyes | 1943–1945 | Republican | Harry Kelly (R) |
| 46 | Vernon J. Brown | 1945–1947 | Republican | Harry Kelly (R) |
| 47 | Eugene C. Keyes | 1947–1949 | Republican | Kim Sigler (R) |
| 48 | John W. Connolly | 1949–1951 | Democratic | G. Mennen Williams (D) |
| 49 | William C. Vandenberg | 1951–1953 | Republican | G. Mennen Williams (D) |
| 50 | Clarence A. Reid | 1953–1955 | Republican | G. Mennen Williams (D) |
| 51 | Philip Hart | 1955–1959 | Democratic | G. Mennen Williams (D) |
| 52 | John Swainson | 1959–1961 | Democratic | G. Mennen Williams (D) |
| 53 | T. John Lesinski | 1961–1965 | Democratic | John Swainson (D) George W. Romney (R) |
| 54 | William G. Milliken | 1965–1969 | Republican | George W. Romney (R) |
| Office vacant from January 22, 1969 – [?], 1970 |||||||
| 55 | Thomas F. Schweigert | 1970–1971 | Republican | William G. Milliken (R) |
| 56 | James H. Brickley | 1971–1975 | Republican | William G. Milliken (R) |
| 57 | James Damman | 1975–1979 | Republican | William G. Milliken (R) |
| 58 | James H. Brickley | 1979–1982 | Republican | William G. Milliken (R) |
| Office vacant from December 27, 1982 – January 1, 1983 |||||||
| 59 | Martha Griffiths | 1983–1991 | Democratic | James Blanchard (D) |
| 60 | Connie Binsfeld | 1991–1999 | Republican | John Engler (R) |
| 61 | Dick Posthumus | 1999–2003 | Republican | John Engler (R) |
| 62 | John D. Cherry | 2003–2011 | Democratic | Jennifer Granholm (D) |
| 63 | Brian Calley | 2011–2019 | Republican | Rick Snyder (R) |
| 64 | Garlin Gilchrist | 2019–present | Democratic | Gretchen Whitmer (D) |