For the first time since statehood, Arizonans will in a few years get to elect a lieutenant governor who serves as a successor to the most powerful politician in the state.
Here’s what you need to know about the new office, how it was created, and when you’ll start seeing another name in all those political mailers and text messages flooding your inboxes.
When will Arizonans elect a lieutenant governor?
Arizona voters will choose a lieutenant governor for the first time in 2026. The new high-ranking government gig was created as the result of a constitutional amendment called Proposition 131 that 55% of Arizona voters supported in 2022.
What is the job of the lieutenant governor?
The lieutenant governor replaces the secretary of state as the person who succeeds the governor if the governor can’t perform the job duties for some reason. The elected secretary of state had been second in line to the governor since statehood in 1912.
The lieutenant governor will have a day job, too. The governor can appoint their lieutenant to lead the Department of Administration, to serve as their chief of staff, or to another position under the governor’s authority, which opens the door to a range of positions when it comes to power and profile.
When voters decided:Arizona voters approve Proposition 131 to create lieutenant governor position
How is the lieutenant governor chosen?
This is a two-part answer.
First, candidates for governor must name their second-in-command at least 60 days before the November election. That means a few weeks after the August primary election when voters choose their political party’s nominee, those nominees will name their running mates (if they haven’t done so previously).
Arizonans will elect the governor and lieutenant governor on a joint ticket in November, according to the proposition.
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Has Arizona ever had a lieutenant governor?
No, but there have been several attempts to add the position and change the line of succession that was established in the Arizona Constitution.
Voters rejected similar ballot measures in 1994 and 2010.
How many states do not have a lieutenant governor?
Four states do not have a lieutenant governor, according to the National Association of Lieutenant Governors, which supported the Arizona proposition.
Those states are Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon and Wyoming, according to the association.
In about half of states, the lieutenant governor serves as the president of the state senate, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Is lieutenant governor more powerful than governor?
No, the lieutenant governor would be a deputy of the governor.
Reach reporter Stacey Barchenger at stacey.barchenger@arizonarepublic.com or 480-416-5669.View Comments
source: azcentral.com/arizona-will-elect-its-first-lieutenant-governor
