Lieutenant Governor of Michigan Information & Lieutenant Governor of Michigan Links at HealthHaven.com

President of Senate of the State of Michigan;
	Incumbent; John D. Cherry; since January 1, 2003
Appointer	ex officio
Term length	4 Years
Inaugural holder	Edward Mundy
Formation	January 26, 1837
Website	michigan.gov/ltgov

Lieutenant Governor of The State of Michigan;
	Incumbent; John D. Cherry; since January 1, 2003
Appointer	Popularly Elected With the Governor
Term length	4 Years
Inaugural holder	Edward Mundy
Formation	January 26, 1837
Website	michigan.gov/ltgov

The Lieutenant Governor of Michigan is the second-ranking executive officer in the U.S. state of Michigan, behind the governor.

The current Lieutenant Governor is John D. Cherry, in office since 2003.

[edit] How the Lieutenant Governor is elected

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 US Presidential election; thus, the next election will take place on November 7, 2010.

[edit] Nomination

Following the August primary election in each gubernatorial election year, each state party holds its state convention and nominates candidates for Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General, among other offices. Because the governor and lieutenant governor are elected as a team, 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 nomination.

Historically, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor were elected separately, leading to frequent split offices (as with George Romney and T. John Lesinski) up until the coming into effect of the Michigan Constitution of 1963.

[edit] Election and inauguration

After the November election, the governor and lieutenant governor take office on January 1. Thus, the winners of the 2010 election will begin their term on January 1, 2011.

[edit] Term limits

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

[edit] Duties of the Lieutenant Governor

There are three main duties assigned to the Lieutenant governor: 1) to serve as acting governor while the governor is out of state; 2) to become governor in the event that the governor is unable to serve; and 3) 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.

[edit] List of Lieutenant Governors

Edward Mundy	D	1835-1840
James Wright Gordon^[1]	W	1840-1841
Thomas J. Drake^[2]	W	1841
Origen D. Richardson	W	1842-1846
William L. Greenly^[3]	D	1846-1847
Charles P. Bush^[2]	D	1847
William M. Fenton	D	1848-1851
Calvin Britain^[4]	D	1852
Andrew Parsons^[5]	D	1853
George Griswold^[6]	D	1853-1854
George Coe	R	1855-1858
Edmund B. Fairfield	R	1859-1860
James M. Birney^[7]	R	1861
Joseph R. Williams^[6]^[8]	R	1861
Henry T. Backus^[6]	R	1861-1862
Charles S. May	R	1863-1864
Ebenezer O. Grosvenor	R	1865-1866
Dwight May	R	1867-1868
Morgan Bates	R	1869-1872
Henry H. Holt	R	1873-1876
Alonzo Sessions	R	1877-1880
Moreau S. Crosby	R	1881-1884
Archibald Buttars	R	1885-1886
James H. MacDonald^[9]	R	1887-1889
William Ball^[6]	R	1889
John Strong	D	1891-1892
J. Wight Giddings	R	1893-1894
Alfred Milnes^[10]	R	1895
Joseph R. McLaughlin^[6]	R	1895-1896
Thomas B. Dunstan	R	1897-1898
Orrin W. Robinson	R	1899-1902
Alexander Maitland	R	1903-1906
Patrick H. Kelley	R	1907-1910
John Q. Ross	R	1911-1914
Luren D. Dickinson	R	1915-1920
Thomas Read	R	1921-1924
George W. Welsh	R	1925-1926
Luren D. Dickinson	R	1927-1932
Allen E. Stebbins	D	1933-1934
Thomas Read	R	1935-1936
Leo J. Nowicki	D	1937-1938
Luren D. Dickinson^[11]	R	1939
Matilda Dodge Wilson^[12]	R	1940
Frank Murphy	D	1941-1942
Eugene C. Keyes	R	1943-1944
Vernon J. Brown	R	1945-1946
Eugene C. Keyes	R	1947-1948
John W. Connolly	D	1949-1950
William C. Vandenberg	R	1951-1952
Clarence A. Reid	R	1953-1954
Philip A. Hart	D	1955-1958
John B. Swainson	D	1959-1960
T. John Lesinski^[13]	D	1961-1964
William G. Milliken^[14]	R	1965-1969
Thomas F. Schweigert^[15]	R	1970
James H. Brickley	R	1971-1974
James J. Damman	R	1975-1978
James H. Brickley	R	1979-1982
Martha W. Griffiths	D	1983-1990
Connie Binsfeld	R	1991-1998
Dick Posthumus	R	1999-2002
John D. Cherry, Jr.	D	2003-present

[edit] Notes

^ Gordon became acting governor on February 24, 1841, after William Woodbridge resigned to take a seat in the united States Senate. Succession prescribed by the Michigan Constitution of 1835, article 5, §13.
^ ^a ^b The president pro tem of the Michigan Senate was elected to perform the lieutenant governor’s duties as president of the senate. Under the 1835 constitution, the lieutenant governor had no specifically defined duties other than presiding over the senate and as filling in as acting governor. See Michigan Constitution of 1835, article 5, §14 and 15.
^ Greenly became acting governor on March 4, 1847 after Alpheus Felch resigned to take a seat in the United States Senate.
^ Under the provisions of the Michigan Constitution of 1850, article 4, §34, and article 5, §3, and Act 175 of the Extra Session of 1851, Laws of Michigan, Britain was elected for a single 1-year term in 1851.
^ Parsons became acting governor on March 8, 1853, after Robert McClelland resigned to become Secretary of the Interior under Franklin Pierce. See Michigan Constitution of 1850, article 5, §12.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e The president pro tem of the Michigan Senate was elected to perform the lieutenant governor’s duties as president of the senate. Under the 1850 constitution, the lieutenant governor had no specifically defined duties other than presiding over the senate and as filling in as acting governor. See Michigan Constitution of 1850, article 5, §13 and 14.
^ Birney resigned April 3, 1861 after being appointed by Governor Moses Wisner to fill a vacancy on the 10th Circuit Court.
^ Williams died June 15, 1861.
^ MacDonald died January 19, 1889.
^ Milnes resigned May 31, 1895, to become U.S. Representative to Congress.
^ Dickinson became acting governor upon death of Frank D. Fitzgerald, March 16, 1939. See Michigan Constitution of 1908, article 6, §16, and Opinion of the Attorney General, 1939-1940, p. 69.
^ Wilson was appointed November 14, 1940, by acting Governor Dickinson. There is some question as to whether Matilda R. Wilson became, in fact, lieutenant governor during the last 6 weeks of Luren D. Dickinson’s term as acting governor. See Opinion of the Attorney General, 1939-1940, p. 69.
^ Lesinski, although a Democrat, was elected for his second term with George W. Romney, a Republican, defeating his running mate.
^ Milliken was the first lieutenant governor to be elected as part of a single party ticket; in 1966, he was the first lieutenant governor elected to a 4-year term; he became governor upon the resignation of George W. Romney January 22, 1969, to become Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under Richard Nixon. See Michigan Constitution of 1963, article 5, §§21 and 26, and schedule §5.
^ Schweigert served March 20 to December 31, 1970. See Opinion of the Attorney General, No. 4625, April 22, 1968, and Act 8 of 1969.

Source: Michigan Manual 2003-2004, Chapter IV, Former Officials of Michigan

[edit] External links

[0] Gordon became acting governor on February 24, 1841, after William Woodbridge resigned to take a seat in the united States Senate. Succession prescribed by the Michigan Constitution of 1835, article 5, §13.

[vacancy_1835-1] The president pro tem of the Michigan Senate was elected to perform the lieutenant governor’s duties as president of the senate. Under the 1835 constitution, the lieutenant governor had no specifically defined duties other than presiding over the senate and as filling in as acting governor. See Michigan Constitution of 1835, article 5, §14 and 15.

[2] Greenly became acting governor on March 4, 1847 after Alpheus Felch resigned to take a seat in the United States Senate.

[3] Under the provisions of the Michigan Constitution of 1850, article 4, §34, and article 5, §3, and Act 175 of the Extra Session of 1851, Laws of Michigan, Britain was elected for a single 1-year term in 1851.

[4] Parsons became acting governor on March 8, 1853, after Robert McClelland resigned to become Secretary of the Interior under Franklin Pierce. See Michigan Constitution of 1850, article 5, §12.

[vacancy_1850-5] The president pro tem of the Michigan Senate was elected to perform the lieutenant governor’s duties as president of the senate. Under the 1850 constitution, the lieutenant governor had no specifically defined duties other than presiding over the senate and as filling in as acting governor. See Michigan Constitution of 1850, article 5, §13 and 14.

[6] Birney resigned April 3, 1861 after being appointed by Governor Moses Wisner to fill a vacancy on the 10th Circuit Court.

[7] Williams died June 15, 1861.

[8] MacDonald died January 19, 1889.

[9] Milnes resigned May 31, 1895, to become U.S. Representative to Congress.

[10] Dickinson became acting governor upon death of Frank D. Fitzgerald, March 16, 1939. See Michigan Constitution of 1908, article 6, §16, and Opinion of the Attorney General, 1939-1940, p. 69.

[11] Wilson was appointed November 14, 1940, by acting Governor Dickinson. There is some question as to whether Matilda R. Wilson became, in fact, lieutenant governor during the last 6 weeks of Luren D. Dickinson’s term as acting governor. See Opinion of the Attorney General, 1939-1940, p. 69.

[12] Lesinski, although a Democrat, was elected for his second term with George W. Romney, a Republican, defeating his running mate.

[13] Milliken was the first lieutenant governor to be elected as part of a single party ticket; in 1966, he was the first lieutenant governor elected to a 4-year term; he became governor upon the resignation of George W. Romney January 22, 1969, to become Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under Richard Nixon. See Michigan Constitution of 1963, article 5, §§21 and 26, and schedule §5.

[14] Schweigert served March 20 to December 31, 1970. See Opinion of the Attorney General, No. 4625, April 22, 1968, and Act 8 of 1969.

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