Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana

The lieutenant governor of Louisiana (French: Lieutenant-Gouverneur de la Louisiane; Spanish: Vicegobernador de Luisiana) is the second highest state office in Louisiana. The current lieutenant governor is Billy Nungesser, a Republican. The lieutenant governor is also the commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism.

Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana
Lieutenant-Gouverneur de la Louisiane Vicegobernador de Luisiana
Incumbent Billy Nungesser since January 11, 2016
Government of Louisiana
Appointer	Popular election
Term length	Four years, no term limit
Inaugural holder	Trasimond Landry
Formation	1846
Succession	1st

Paul J. Hardy, who served from 1988 to 1992, was the first Republican to be elected to the position since the Reconstruction Era.

History

The office was established by the Louisiana Constitution of 1845.^[1] Prior to that, the successor to the governor in the event of his death or resignation was the President of the Louisiana State Senate.^[2] A number of state senate presidents succeeded governors before the 1845 Constitution was adopted, including Henry S. Thibodaux, Armand Beauvais and Jacques Dupre.

The lieutenant governor presided over the Louisiana Senate from 1845 until the adoption of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974.^{[citation needed]} Under the new constitution, the lieutenant governor was—effective in 1976—primarily tasked with serving as acting governor in the governor's absence from the state and succeeding to gubernatorial office in the event it became vacant. The document also allowed the governor and the Louisiana State Legislature to delegate responsibilities upon the lieutenant governor at their discretion.^[3] In 1986, the legislature placed the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism under the lieutenant governor's purview, enabling them to appoint the department's leaders.^[4][5]

Selection

Only qualified voters in Louisiana are eligible to be elected lieutenant governor. Any potential lieutenant governor must be at least 25 years of age and have resided in the state for the five previous years.^[6] The lieutenant governor is elected on their own ticket separate from the governor.^[5]

In the event the lieutenant governor's office becomes vacant, the governor is empowered to nominate a new incumbent subject to the approval of both houses of the legislature.^[7]

Duties and responsibilities

The constitution directs the lieutenant governor to assume the office of governor if the previous incumbent vacates the office. If the incumbent governor is unable to act as governor, or is temporarily absent from the state, the lieutenant governor assumes the governor's powers and duties as acting governor.^[5][8] The constitution also designates the lieutenant governor an ex officio member of each committee, board, and commission on which the governor serves.^[5][9]

Aside from these duties, the lieutenant governor can exercise powers delegated to them by the governor or as provided by law.^[5][9] Accordingly, state law designates the lieutenant governor as the commissioner of the Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism.^[5][10] In this capacity they appoint the department's secretary and several other leading officers, subject to the confirmation of the State Senate.^[5]

List of lieutenant governors

Parties

  Independent (0)   Democratic (46)   Republican (8)

1846–1860

No.	Lt. governor		Took office	Left office	Party	Notes	Governor
1	Trasimond Landry		1846	1850	Democratic	[11][12]	Isaac Johnson
2	Jean Baptiste Plauche		1850	1853	Democratic	[11][12][13][14]	Joseph Marshall Walker
3	William Wood Farmer		1853	1854	Democratic	[11][12][15]	Paul Octave Hébert
4	Robert C. Wickliffe		1854	1856	Democratic	[16][17]	Paul Octave Hébert
5	Charles Homer Mouton		1856	1856	Democratic	[11][12][18]	Robert C. Wickliffe
6	William F. Griffin		1856	1860	Democratic	[11][12][19]	Robert C. Wickliffe

Civil War era

Lieutenant governors of Confederate Louisiana

No.	Lt. governor		Took office	Left office	Party	Notes	Governor
7	Henry M. Hyams		1860	1864	Democratic		Thomas Overton Moore
8	Benjamin W. Pearce		1864	1865	Democratic		Henry Watkins Allen

Lieutenant governors of Union-held territory in Louisiana

No.	Lt. governor		Took office	Left office	Party	Notes	Governor
9	James M. Wells		1864	1865	Democrat		Michael Hahn (Republican)
10	Albert Voorhies		1865	1866	Democrat		James Madison Wells (Democrat)

Resumption of U.S. statehood

No.	Lt. governor		Took office	Left office	Party	Notes	Governor
11	Oscar J. Dunn		1868	1871	Republican		Henry C. Warmoth (Republican)
12	P. B. S. Pinchback		1871	1872	Republican		Henry C. Warmoth (Republican)
14	C.C. Antoine		1873	1877	Republican		William P. Kellogg (Republican) 1873-1877
							Stephen B. Packard (Republican) 1877
15	Louis A. Wiltz		1877	1880	Democratic		Francis T. Nicholls (Democratic)
16	Samuel D. McEnery		1880	1881	Democratic		Louis A. Wiltz (Democratic)
17	William A. Robertson		1881	1881	Democratic		Samuel D. McEnery (Democratic)
18	George L. Walton		1881	1882	Democratic		Samuel D. McEnery (Democratic)
19	Clay Knobloch		1884	1888	Democratic		Samuel D. McEnery (Democratic)
20	James Jeffries		1888	1892	Democratic		Francis T. Nicholls (Democratic)
21	Charles Parlange		1892	1893	Democratic		Murphy J. Foster (Democratic)
22	Hiram R. Lott		1893	1896	Democratic		Murphy J. Foster (Democratic)
23	Robert H. Snyder		1896	1900	Democratic		Murphy J. Foster (Democratic)
24	Albert Estopinal		1900	1904	Democratic		W. W. Heard (Democratic)
25	Jared Y. Sanders, Sr.		1904	1908	Democratic		Newton C. Blanchard (Democratic)
26	Paul M. Lambremont		1908	1911	Democratic		Jared Y. Sanders, Sr. (Democratic)
27	Thomas C. Barret		1912	1916	Democratic		Luther E. Hall (Democratic)
28	Fernand Mouton		1916	1920	Democratic		Ruffin G. Pleasant (Democratic)
29	Hewitt Bouanchaud		1920	1924	Democratic		John M. Parker (Democratic)
30	Delos R. Johnson		1924	1924	Democratic		John M. Parker (Democratic)
31	Oramel H. Simpson		1924	1926	Democratic		Henry L. Fuqua (Democratic)
32	Philip H. Gilbert		1926	1928	Democratic		Oramel H. Simpson (Democratic)
33	Paul N. Cyr		1928	1931	Democratic	[20]	Huey P. Long (Democratic)
34	Alvin Olin King		1931	1932	Democratic	[12][21][22]	Huey P. Long (Democratic)
35	John B. Fournet		1932	1935	Democratic		O. K. Allen (Democratic)
36	Thomas C. Wingate		1935	1935	Democratic		O. K. Allen (Democratic)
37	James A. Noe		1935	1936	Democratic		O. K. Allen (Democratic)
38	Earl K. Long		1936	1939	Democratic		Richard W. Leche (Democratic)
39	Coleman Lindsey		1939	1940	Democratic		Earl K. Long (Democratic)
40	Marc M. Mouton		1940	1944	Democratic		Sam H. Jones (Democratic)
41	J. Emile Verret		1944	1948	Democratic		Jimmie H. Davis (Democratic)
42	William J. Dodd		1948	1952	Democratic		Earl K. Long (Democratic)
43	C. E. Barham		1952	1956	Democratic		Robert F. Kennon (Democratic)
44	Lether Frazar		1956	1960	Democratic		Earl K. Long (Democratic)
45	Clarence C. (Taddy) Aycock		1960	1972	Democratic		Jimmie H. Davis (Democratic) 1960-1964
							John J. McKeithen (Democratic) 1964-1972
46	James E. (Jimmy) Fitzmorris, Jr.		1972	1980	Democratic		Edwin Edwards (Democratic)
47	Robert Louis Freeman Sr.		1980	1988	Democratic		David C. Treen (Republican) 1980-1984
							Edwin Edwards (Democratic) 1984-1988
48	Paul Hardy		1988	1992	Republican		Buddy Roemer (Democratic turn Republican)
49	Melinda Schwegmann		1992	1996	Democratic		Edwin Edwards (Democratic)
50	Kathleen Babineaux Blanco		1996	2004	Democratic		Mike Foster (Republican)
51	Mitchell (Mitch) Landrieu		2004	2010	Democratic		Kathleen Blanco (Democratic)
							Bobby Jindal (Republican)
52	Scott Angelle		2010	2010	Democratic
			2010	2010	Republican
53	John L. (Jay) Dardenne		2010	2016	Republican
54	Billy Nungesser		2016	2024	Republican		John Bel Edwards (Democratic)
			2024	Incumbent	Republican		Jeff Landry (Republican)

See also

• Governor of Louisiana
• President of the Louisiana State Senate

References

1. Dawson 1990, p. xvii.
2. Dawson 1990, p. xvi.
3. "New Lieutenant Governor Role Seen". The Shreveport Times. Associated Press. August 27, 1975. p. 5-A.
4. Hill, John (July 6, 1986). "Money not only issue Legislature tackled". The Times. Gannett News Service. p. 12-B.
5. "Branches of Government : Executive Branch : Statewide Elected Officials". Louisiana.gov. Government of Louisiana. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
6. Qualifications of Candidates 2022, p. 1.
7. Hargrave 2011, p. 75.
8. Hutchinson, Piper (June 21, 2023). "Louisiana's governor and lt. governor are out of the country. Who's running the state?". Louisiana Illuminator. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
9. Hargrave 2011, p. 72.
10. "Branches of Government : Executive Branch : Officers". Louisiana.gov. Government of Louisiana. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
11. Louisiana. Report of the Secretary of State to His Excellency W.W. Heard, Governor of the State of Louisiana. May 12th, 1902. [Baton Rouge]: Baton Rouge news Pub. Co., State printers, 1902. p 325
12. Calhoun, Milburn, and Bernie McGovern. Louisiana Almanac, 2002-2003 Edition. Gretna, LA: Pelican Pub. Co, 2001. PP 462-63
13. s:Louisiana State Constitution of 1852 The Constitution of 1852 shortened this term.
14. Hyde, Samuel C. Pistols and Politics: The Dilemma of Democracy in Louisiana's Florida Parishes, 1810-1899. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1998. p.71
15. Died in office
16. When William Wood Farmer died in office in 1854, Robert C. Wickliffe, as president pro temp, became lieutenant governor.
17. s:Louisiana State Constitution of 1852 The Constitution of 1852 Set this to in end in 1856
18. Resigned
19. When Charles Homer Mouton resigned from office, William F. Griffin, as president pro temp, became lieutenant governor.
20. Vacated the lieutenant governorship by trying to declare himself governor
21. As President pro tempore of the Senate became lieutenant governor when Paul N. Cyr vacated the lieutenant governorship
22. Became Governor on January 25, 1932

Works cited

• Dawson, Joseph G. III (1990). The Louisiana Governors: From Iberville to Edwards. Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 9780807115275.
• Hargrave, W. Lee (2011). The Louisiana State Constitution. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199779031.
• Qualifications of Candidates (PDF), Government of Louisiana, October 2022

External links

• http://senate.la.gov/Documents/Membership/Documents/SenateMembership1880ForwardRevisedMar2011.pdf