Leadership Positions in State Legislatures

* * *

President of the Senate • President Pro Tempore • Senate Majority Leader • Senate Minority Leader • House Majority Leader • House Minority Leader • State Speaker of the House

Leadership at the state legislative level refers to a range of different positions, including senate presidents and presidents pro tempore, house and assembly speakers, and minority and majority leaders.

Voters typically have little direct say in who holds these positions. Instead, the members of the legislatures themselves usually select their leadership. A notable exception to this rule are the 26 state senates in which the lieutenant governor serves as the senate president. Voters generally elect lieutenant governors directly (except in Tennessee and West Virginia where the title of lieutenant governor is given to the Senate leader, whom the members of the chamber have the responsibility of selecting).

While the power and authority—and even the names—of leadership positions vary from chamber-to-chamber and state-to-state, leaders in state legislatures generally play influential roles in the four, often interconnected, areas listed below.

## Contents

* 1 The Legislative Process
* 2 Elections
* 3 Management
* 4 Career Advancement
* 5 State legislative leadership positions
* 5.1 State senates
* 5.2 State houses

### The Legislative Process[edit]

All levels of leadership in state legislatures play a role in determining a bill’s chances of becoming a law, but top leadership positions can exert decisive control over these processes. Presiding officers such as speakers and senate presidents (or presidents pro tem), for example, can use parliamentary procedures to shape debates to their liking. Legislative leaders also control the processes through which legislation is referred to committees, and they often dictate the ebb and flow of the legislative calendar. This latter power helps leaders to set agendas for their party and the chamber as a whole and to develop strategies for executing those agendas. On top of all of this, leaders are usually the chief deal makers, negotiating both with members of the other party and factions within their own.

### Elections[edit]

Leaders often play a significant role in both the public and behind-the-scenes processes of state legislative elections. For example, they might appear at a legislator’s or candidate's campaign event or hold a fundraiser for them. Similarly, they might work with state party officials to develop strategies for holding on to their majority, for flipping their chamber or a specific seat, or for filling potential vacancies.

### Management[edit]

Institutional management covers an array of tasks, including making committee assignments, naming committee chairs, appointing legislators to task forces, enforcing disciplinary measures, managing office spaces, and overseeing the chamber’s facility staff.

### Career Advancement[edit]

Because legislative leaders make committee assignments and hold the keys to the committee chair positions, they have the power to advance and stall the career of individual legislators. A leader, for example, could advance the career of an up-and-coming legislator by naming him or her as the chair of a powerful committee that comes with a high public profile and the ability to influence important legislation. Alternatively, a leader could also appoint that legislator as a rank-and-file member of a lesser known and less influential committee, thereby diminishing that legislator’s influence and their public profile.

## State legislative leadership positions[edit]

### State senates[edit]

* President of the Senate
* Vice President of the Senate
* Speaker of the Senate
* Deputy Speaker of the Senate
* State senate President Pro Tempore
* State Senate Vice President Pro Tempore
* State Senate Speaker Pro Tempore
* State Senate Assistant President Pro Tempore
* State Senate Associate President Pro Tempore
* State Senate Deputy President Pro Tempore
* State Senate Majority Leader
* State Senate Assistant Majority Leader
* State Senate Deputy Majority Leader
* State Senate Assistant Deputy Majority Leader
* State Senate Majority Caucus Leader
* State Senate Assistant Majority Caucus Leader
* State Senate Majority Whip
* State Senate Assistant Majority Whip
* State Senate Deputy Majority Whip
* State Senate Assistant Deputy Majority Whip
* State Senate Minority Leader
* State Senate Minority Caucus Leader
* State Senate Assistant Minority Leader
* State Senate Assistant Minority Caucus Leader
* State Senate Deputy Minority Caucus Leader
* State Senate Minority Leader Pro Tempore
* State Senate Deputy Minority Leader
* State Senate Minority Whip
* State Senate Assistant Minority Whip
* State Senate Deputy Minority Whip
* State Senate Technology Leader
* State Senate Majority Floor Leader
* State Senate Minority Floor Leader
* State Senate Assistant Majority Floor Leader
* State Senate Assistant Minority Floor Leader
* State Senate Deputy Minority Floor Leader
* State Senate Majority Policy Leader
* State Senate President Emeritus
* State Senate Republican Leader Emeritus

### State houses[edit]

* State Speaker of the House
* State House Speaker Emeritus
* State Vice Speaker of the House
* State House Speaker Pro Tempore
* State House Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore
* State House Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore
* State House Speaker Pro Tempore Emeritus
* State House Majority Leader
* State House Assistant Majority Leader
* State House First Assistant Majority Floor Leader
* State House Deputy Majority Leader
* State House Minority Leader
* State House Assistant Minority Leader
* State House Deputy Minority Leader
* State House Minority Leader Pro Tempore
* State House Majority Floor Leader
* State House Minority Floor Leader
* State House Assistant Minority Floor Leader
* State House Deputy Minority Floor Leader
* State House Majority Whip
* State House Minority Whip
* State House Assistant Majority Whip
* State House Assistant Minority Whip
* State House Chief Deputy Majority Whip
* State House Chief Deputy Minority Whip
* State House Deputy Majority Whip
* State House Deputy Minority Whip
* State House Majority Caucus Leader
* State House Minority Caucus Leader
* State House Majority Caucus Vice Chair
* State House Minority Caucus Vice Chair
* State House Assistant Majority Caucus Leader
* State House Majority Caucus Secretary
* State House Minority Caucus Secretary
* State House Majority Caucus Liaison
* State House Minority Policy Leader
* State House Parliamentarian
* State House Progressive Leader

* State Speaker of the Assembly
* State Deputy Speaker of the Assembly
* State Assistant Speaker of the Assembly
* State Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore
* State Assembly Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore
* State Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore
* State Assembly Majority Leader
* State Assembly Majority Floor Leader
* State Assembly Assistant Majority Leader
* State Assembly Deputy Majority Leader
* State Assembly Deputy Minority Leader
* State Assembly Assistant Majority Floor Leader
* State Assembly Majority Whip
* State Assembly Minority Whip
* State Assembly Assistant Majority Whip
* State Assembly Assistant Minority Whip
* State Assembly Deputy Majority Whip
* State Assembly Deputy Minority Whip
* State Assembly Minority Leader
* State Assembly Assistant Minority Leader
* State Assembly Minority Leader Pro Tempore
* State Assembly Assistant Minority Leader Pro Tempore
* State Assembly Majority Caucus Chair
* State Assembly Minority Caucus Chair
* State Assembly Majority Caucus Vice Chair
* State Assembly Minority Caucus Vice Chair
* State Assembly Majority Caucus Secretary
* State Assembly Minority Caucus Secretary
* State Assembly Majority Conference Leader
* State Assembly Minority Conference Leader
* State Assembly Deputy Majority Conference Leader
* State Assembly Deputy Minority Conference Leader
* State Assembly Parliamentarian

v • e

President of the Senate

AL: Will Ainsworth (R) • AK: Gary Stevens (R) • AZ: Warren Petersen (R) • AR: Leslie Rutledge (R) • CA: Eleni Kounalakis (D) • CO: James Coleman (Colorado) (D) • CT: Susan Bysiewicz (D) • DE: Kyle Evans Gay (D) • FL: Ben Albritton (R) • GA: Burt Jones (R) • HI: Ronald Kouchi (D) • ID: Scott Bedke (R) • IL: Don Harmon (D) • IN: Micah Beckwith (R) • IA: Amy Sinclair (R) • KS: Ty Masterson (R) • KY: Robert Stivers (R) • LA: Cameron Henry (R) • ME: Matthea Daughtry (D) • MD: William Ferguson IV (D) • MA: Karen Spilka (D) • MI: Garlin Gilchrist II (D) • MN: Bobby Joe Champion (D) • MS: Delbert Hosemann (R) • MO: David Wasinger (R) • MT: Matt Regier (R) • NE: Joe Kelly (Nebraska) (R) • NV: Stavros S. Anthony (R) • NH: Sharon Carson (R) • NJ: Nicholas Scutari (D) • NM: Howie Morales (D) • NY: Antonio Delgado (D) • NC: Rachel Hunt (D) • ND: Michelle Strinden (R) • OH: Robert McColley (R) • OK: Matt Pinnell (R) • OR: Rob Wagner (D) • PA: Austin Davis (D) • RI: Valarie Lawson (D) • SC: Thomas Alexander (R) • SD: Tony Venhuizen (R) • TN: Randy McNally (R) • TX: Dan Patrick (R) • UT: Stuart Adams (R) • VT: John Rodgers (Vermont) (R) • VA: Ghazala Hashmi (D) • WA: Denny Heck (D) • WV: Randy E. Smith (West Virginia) (R) • WI: Mary Felzkowski (R) • WY: Bo Biteman (R)

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State senate majority leaders

AL: Steve Livingston (R) • AK: Catherine A. Giessel (R) • AZ: John Kavanagh (R) • AR: Blake Johnson (R) • CA: TBD • CO: Robert Rodriguez (D) • CT: Bob Duff (D) • DE: Bryan Townsend (D) • FL: Jim Boyd (R) • GA: Jason Anavitarte (R) • HI: Dru Kanuha (D) • ID: Lori Den Hartog (R) • IL: Kimberly Lightford (D) • IN: Chris Garten (R) • IA: Michael T. Klimesh (R) • KS: Chase Blasi (R) • KY: Max Wise (R) • ME: Teresa Pierce (D) • MD: Nancy King (D) • MA: Cynthia Stone Creem (D) • MI: Winnie Brinks (D) • MN: Erin Murphy (D) • MO: Tony Luetkemeyer (R) • MT: Tom McGillvray (R) • NV: Nicole Cannizzaro (D) • NH: Regina Birdsell (R) • NJ: Teresa Ruiz (New Jersey) (D) • NM: Peter Wirth (D) • NY: Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D) • NC: Michael Lee (R) • ND: David Hogue (R) • OH: Theresa Gavarone (R) • OK: Julie Daniels (R) • OR: Kayse Jama (D) • PA: Joe Pittman (R) • RI: Frank Ciccone (D) • SC: Shane Massey (R) • SD: Jim Mehlhaff (R) • TN: Jack Johnson (R) • UT: Kirk Cullimore (R) • VT: Kesha Ram Hinsdale (D) • VA: Scott Surovell (D) • WA: Jamie Pedersen (D) • WV: Patrick Martin (R) • WI: Devin LeMahieu (R) • WY: Tara Nethercott (R)

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Speakers of the House

AL: Nathaniel Ledbetter (R) • AK: Bryce E. Edgmon • AZ: Steve Montenegro (R) • AR: Brian Evans (R) • CA: Robert Rivas (D) • CO: Julie McCluskie (D) • CT: Matthew Ritter (D) • DE: Melissa Minor-Brown (D) • FL: Daniel Anthony Perez (R) • GA: Jon Burns (R) • HI: Nadine Nakamura (D) • ID: Mike Moyle (R) • IL: Chris Welch (D) • IN: Todd Huston (R) • IA: Pat Grassley (R) • KS: Daniel Hawkins (R) • KY: David Osborne (R) • LA: Phillip DeVillier (R) • ME: Ryan Fecteau (D) • MD: Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D) • MA: Ronald Mariano (D) • MI: Matt Hall (Michigan) (R) • MN: Lisa Demuth (R) • MS: Jason White (Mississippi) (R) • MO: Jon Patterson (R) • MT: Brandon Ler (R) • NV: Steve Yeager (D) • NH: Sherman Packard (R) • NJ: Craig Coughlin (D) • NM: Javier I. Martínez (D) • NY: Carl Heastie (D) • NC: Destin Hall (R) • ND: Robin Weisz (R) • OH: Matt Huffman (R) • OK: Kyle Hilbert (R) • OR: Julie Fahey (D) • PA: Joanna McClinton (D) • RI: K. Joseph Shekarchi (D) • SC: G. Murrell Smith Jr. (R) • SD: Jon Hansen (R) • TN: Cameron Sexton (R) • TX: Dustin Burrows (R) • UT: Mike Schultz (Utah) (R) • VT: Jill Krowinski (D) • VA: Don Scott (Virginia) (D) • WA: Laurie Jinkins (D) • WV: Roger Hanshaw (R) • WI: Robin Vos (R) • WY: Chip Neiman (R)

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State house majority leaders

AL: Paul Lee (R) • AK: Charles Kopp (R) • AZ: Michael Carbone (R) • AR: Howard Beaty (R) • CA: Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D) • CO: Monica Duran (D) • CT: Jason Rojas (D) • DE: Kerri Evelyn Harris (D) • FL: Tyler Sirois (R) • GA: Chuck Efstration (R) • HI: Sean Quinlan (D) • ID: Jason Monks (R) • IL: Robyn Gabel (D) • IN: Matthew Lehman (R) • IA: Bobby Kaufmann (R) • KS: Chris Croft (R) • KY: Steven Rudy (R) • LA: Blake Miguez (R) • ME: Matthew Moonen (D) • MD: David Moon (D) • MA: Michael Moran (D) • MI: Bryan Posthumus (R) • MN: Harry Niska (R) • MO: Alex Riley (R) • MT: Steve Fitzpatrick (R) • NV: Sandra Jauregui (D) • NH: Jason Osborne (R) • NJ: Louis Greenwald (D) • NM: Reena Szczepanski (D) • NY: Crystal Peoples-Stokes (D) • NC: Brenden Jones (R) • ND: Mike Lefor (R) • OH: Marilyn John (R) • OK: Mark Lawson (R) • OR: Ben Bowman (D) • PA: Matthew Bradford (D) • RI: Christopher Blazejewski (D) • SC: Davey Hiott (R) • SD: Scott Odenbach (R) • TN: William Lamberth (R) • UT: Casey Snider (R) • VT: Lori Houghton (D) • VA: Charniele Herring (D) • WA: Joe Fitzgibbon (D) • WV: Pat McGeehan (R) • WI: Tyler August (R) • WY: Scott Heiner (R)

State legislatures

Legislatures

Alabama (H, S) · Alaska (H, S) · Arizona (H, S) · Arkansas (H, S) · California (A, S) · Colorado (H, S) · Connecticut (H, S) · Delaware (H, S) · Florida (H, S) · Georgia (H, S) · Hawaii (H, S) · Idaho (H, S) · Illinois (H, S) · Indiana (H, S) · Iowa (H, S) · Kansas (H, S) · Kentucky (H, S) · Louisiana (H, S) · Maine (H, S) · Maryland (H, S) · Massachusetts (H, S) · Michigan (H, S) · Minnesota (H, S) · Mississippi (H, S) · Missouri (H, S) · Montana (H, S) · Nebraska · Nevada (A, S) · New Hampshire (H, S) · New Jersey (GA, S) · New Mexico (H, S) · New York (A, S) · North Carolina (H, S) · North Dakota (H, S) · Ohio (H, S) · Oklahoma (H, S) · Oregon (H, S) · Pennsylvania (H, S) · Rhode Island (H, S) · South Carolina (H, S) · South Dakota (H, S) · Tennessee (H, S) · Texas (H, S) · Utah (H, S) · Vermont (H, S) · Virginia (H, S) · Washington (H, S) · West Virginia (H, S) · Wisconsin (A, S) · Wyoming (H, S)

2026

State legislative elections (2026) • State legislative special elections (2026) • Primary dates and filing requirements • 2026 Session Dates

2025

State legislative elections (2025) • State legislative special elections (2025) • Primary dates and filing requirements • 2025 Session Dates

Historical elections

2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 • 2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005 • 2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000

Features of state legislatures

How vacancies are filled in state legislatures • States with a full-time legislature • State legislatures with term limits • Comparison of state legislative salaries • When state legislators assume office after a general election • Population represented by state legislators • State constitutional articles governing state legislatures • State legislative sessions • Resign-to-run law • State legislature candidate requirements by state • Official names of state legislatures • State legislative chambers that use multi-member districts • Factors Affecting Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections

State senates

Length of terms of state senators • State senators • Partisan composition of state senates • State senators sorted by year first elected

State houses

Length of terms of state representatives • State representatives • Partisan composition of state houses • State representatives sorted by year first elected

Leadership positions

President of the Senate • President Pro Tempore • Senate Majority Leader • Senate Minority Leader • House Majority Leader • House Minority Leader • State Speaker of the House

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