Lieutenant Governor of California

The lieutenant governor of California is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the U.S. state of California. It is the second highest-ranking official in the state government. The lieutenant governor ranks first in the gubernatorial line of succession and is also the officer of the legislative branch, president of the Senate and the presiding officer of the Senate.

Eleni Kounalakis is the 50th and current lieutenant governor of California, in office since January 2019.

 Constitutional roles and duties 
The lieutenant governor presides as the president of the California State Senate and has all the powers of the governor to perform when the governor is out of the state. 

The lieutenant governor often signing or vetoing legislation, or making political appointments, whenever the governor leaves the state. The lieutenant governor only presides over the Senate when needed by the president pro tempore or in order to cast a tie-breaking vote.

The lieutenant governor also is in charge of duties such as higher education, natural resources, economic development.

 Eligibility and requirements 
Section 5 of the state's constitution states for a person to serve as governor must:

 be at least eighteen years old.
 be a permanent resident in California and the United States for at least five years.

 Election process 
The lieutenant governor is elected by the people through the popular election to a four-year term, along with the gubernatorial candidate or the incumbent governor as their running mate. The gubernatorial candidate or incumbent governor must have the majority of the popular vote in order to win the election.

 Line of succession 
The lieutenant governor is first in the line of succession to become governor if the governor dies resigns, or is impeached from office.

 List of lieutenant governors 
+Lieutenant governors of the State of CaliforniaLieutenant GovernorTerm in officePartyElectionGovernor1100x100px John McDougal–
January 9, 1851Democratic1849 2116x116pxDavid C. Broderick–
January 8, 1852Democratic3113x113pxSamuel Purdy–
January 9, 1856Democratic18511853475x75pxRobert M. Anderson–
January 8, 1858American1855595x95pxJoseph Walkup–
January 9, 1860Democratic1857687x87pxJohn G. Downey–
January 20, 1860Democratic1859775x75pxIsaac N. Quinn–
January 7, 1861Democratic896x96pxPablo de la Guerra–
January 10, 1862Democratic975x75pxJohn F. Chellis–
December 10, 1863Republican18611075x75pxTim N. Machin–
December 5, 1867Republican18631184x84pxWilliam Holden–
December 8, 1871Democratic186712103x103pxRomualdo Pacheco–
February 27, 1875Republican187113120x120pxWilliam Irwin–
December 9, 1875Democratic1485x85pxJames A. Johnson–
January 8, 1880Democratic18751575x75pxJohn Mansfield–
January 10, 1883Republican187916129x129pxJohn Daggett–
January 8, 1887Democratic18821779x79pxRobert Waterman–
September 13, 1887Republican188618100x100pxStephen M. White–
January 8, 1891Democratic19100x100pxJohn B. Reddick–
January 11, 1895Republican18902094x94pxSpencer G. Millard–
October 24, 1895Republican1894—Vacant–
October 26, 18952196x96pxWilliam T. Jeter–
January 3, 1899Democratic22100x100pxJacob H. Neff–
January 6, 1903Republican189823100x100pxAlden Anderson–
January 8, 1907Republican190224103x103pxWarren R. Porter–
January 3, 1911Republican190625100x100pxAlbert Joseph Wallace–
January 5, 1915Republican191026104x104pxJohn Morton Eshleman–
February 28, 1916Progressive1914—Vacant—
July 22, 191627100x100pxWilliam Stephens–
March 15, 1917Republican—Vacant—
January 6, 191928100x100pxC. C. Young–
January 4, 1927Republican1918192229117x117pxBuron Fitts–
November 30, 1928Republican1926—Vacant—
December 4, 19283091x91pxHerschel L. Carnahan–
January 6, 1931Republican31100x100pxFrank Merriam–
June 2, 1934Republican1930—Vacant—
January 7, 193532105x105pxGeorge J. Hatfield–
January 2, 1939Republican19343398x98pxEllis E. Patterson–
January 4, 1943Democratic193834100x100pxFrederick F. Houser–
January 6, 1947Republican194235100x100pxGoodwin Knight–
October 4, 1953Republican1946195036100x100pxHarold J. Powers–
January 5, 1959Republican195437100x100pxGlenn M. Anderson–
January 2, 1967Democratic1958196238100x100pxRobert Finch–
January 8, 1969Republican196639100x100pxEdwin Reinecke–
October 2, 1974Republican197040100x100pxJohn L. Harmer–
January 6, 1975Republican41100x100pxMervyn Dymally–
January 8, 1979Democratic197442100x100pxMike Curb–
January 3, 1983Republican197843100x100pxLeo T. McCarthy–
January 3, 1995Democratic1982198619904488x88pxGray Davis–
January 4, 1999Democratic19944594x94pxCruz Bustamante–
January 7, 2007Democratic1998200246106x106pxJohn Garamendi–
November 3, 2009Democratic20064794x94pxMona Pasquil–
April 27, 2010Democratic4892x92pxAbel Maldonado–
January 10, 2011Republican201049114x114pxGavin Newsom–
January 7, 2019Democratic20145099x99pxEleni Kounalakis–
IncumbentDemocratic20182022

 Notes 

 References