Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee

Government official in Tennessee, United States

Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee

Speaker of the Tennessee Senate

Seal of Tennessee

Incumbent
Randy McNally

since January 10, 2017

Style| Mr. Speaker
Status| Presiding officer
Member of| Tennessee Senate
Appointer| Tennessee Senate
Constituting instrument| Tennessee Constitution
Formation| February 23, 1870; 154 years ago (1870-02-23)
First holder| Dorsey B. Thomas
Succession| First
Salary| $72,948 (2022)[1]
Website| Government website

The lieutenant governor and speaker of the Senate of Tennessee is the presiding officer of the Tennessee Senate and first in line in the succession to the office of governor of Tennessee in the event of the death, resignation, or removal from office through impeachment and conviction of the governor of Tennessee.

The current lieutenant governor is Randy McNally, who was elected to the post on January 10, 2017, and is the second (consecutive) Republican to hold the post since Reconstruction. He succeeded Ron Ramsey, who held the post continuously from 2007 to 2017.

Under the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the speaker of the Senate is elected by the Tennessee State Senate from among its members. The lieutenant governor as a member of the Tennessee Senate has a four-year term as a senator but is subject to re-election by his peers with each new legislature; as the senators' terms are staggered by class and there could be a 50 percent turnover in membership between one legislature and the next.

## Compensation

[edit]

The job is in theory a part-time one, paying $72,948 per year; the lieutenant governor is a member of the Tennessee General Assembly (the base pay for which is $24,316 per year), which is a legislature limited to 15 organizational days and 90 legislative days with full pay and expenses in each two-year sitting.

## Line of succession

[edit]

See also: Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States § Tennessee

Since Tennessee became a state in 1796, four speakers of the Senate have succeeded to the governorship:

* William Hall, who succeeded upon the resignation of Sam Houston;
* Dewitt Clinton Senter, who succeeded William G. Brownlow, who resigned to accept election to the U.S. Senate;
* John I. Cox, who succeeded James B. Frazier, who resigned as governor after arranging his appointment to the unexpired term of U.S. Senator William B. Bate, who had died in office; and
* Henry Hollis Horton, who succeeded Austin Peay, the only governor of Tennessee to die in office as of 2023[update].

Under the Tennessee Constitution, in the event of succession the Speaker does not become "acting governor" or "interim governor," but assumes the title and full powers of the governorship, much as the vice president of the United States becomes president upon the death, resignation or removal from office of the president. An important distinction is that if the speaker becomes governor during the first 18 months of the governor's four-year term, a special election for the balance of the term will be held at the next U.S. general election. If the speaker becomes governor after the first 18 months of the term, the speaker will serve the entire remainder of the term. In either case, any partial term counts toward the limit of two consecutive terms. For example, if the current speaker, Randy McNally, had ascended to the governorship during the second term of Bill Haslam, he would have been eligible to run for a full term in 2018, but would have had to leave office in 2023. However, this provision has not been put into practice since the gubernatorial term was extended to four years in 1953.

The title of lieutenant governor is granted to the speaker by statutory law enacted in 1951 in recognition of the fact that the speaker is the governor's designated successor; such has been the case since the adoption of the first state constitution and Tennessee statehood in 1796.

## List of officeholders

[edit]

### Before 1870

[edit]

President of the Council of the Southwest Territory[2]

President  | Term  | Party  | Life  | Notes
Griffith Rutherford | 1794–1796  |  | 1721–1805  | The council dissolved upon the territory's admission as a state
Speakers of the Tennessee Senate, 1796–1869[3]

Image  | Name  | Term  | Party  | Life  | Notes
| James Winchester | 1796–1797  |  | 1752–1826  |
| James White | 1797–1798  |  | 1747–1821  |
| William Blount | 1798–1799  | Democratic-Republican | 1749–1800  |
| Alexander Outlaw | 1799–1801  |  | 1738–1826  |
| James White | 1801–1805  |  | 1747–1821  |
| Joseph McMinn | 1805–1811  | Democratic-Republican | 1758–1824  |
| Thomas Henderson  | 1811–1813  | Democratic-Republican | 1742 –1832  |
| Robert Coleman Foster | 1813–1815  | Whig | 1769–1844  |
| Edward Ward  | 1815–1819  |  | d. 1837  |
| Robert Weakley | 1819–1821  | Democratic-Republican  | 1764–1845  |
| Sterling Brewer  | 1821–1823  |  | 1770–1832  |
| Robert Weakley | 1823–1825  | Democratic-Republican  | 1764–1845  |
| Robert C. Foster  | 1825–1827  | Whig  | 1796–1871  |
| William Hall | 1827–1829  | Democratic  | 1775–1856  | Became governor upon the resignation of Sam Houston
| Joel Walker  | 1829–1831  | Whig  | 1789–1844  |
| Burchet Douglas  | 1831–1833  | Whig  | 1793–1849  |
| David Burford  | 1833–1835  | Democratic  | 1791–1864  |
| Jonathan Webster  | 1835–1837  | Whig  | 1779–1849  |
| Terry H. Cahal  | 1837–1839  | Whig  | 1802–1851  |
| Thomas Love  | 1839  | Democratic  | 1766–1844  |
| Levin H. Coe  | 1839–1841  | Democratic  | 1807–1850  |
| Samuel Turney  | 1841–1843  | Democratic  | c. 1795–1863  |
| Josiah M. Anderson | 1843–1845  | Whig  | 1807–1861  |
| Harvey M. Watterson | 1845–1847  | Democratic  | 1811–1891  |
| Josiah M. Anderson | 1847–1849  | Whig  | 1807–1861  |
| John F. Henry  | 1849–1851  | Whig  | 1808–1884  |
| Munson R. Hill | 1851–1853  | Whig  | 1821–1867  |
| Edwin Polk  | 1853–1855  | Democratic  | 1818–1854  |
| Edward S. Cheatham | 1855–1857  | Whig  | 1818–1878  |
| John C. Burch  | 1857–1859  | Democratic  | 1827–1881  |
| Tazewell W. Newman  | 1859–1861  | Democratic  | 1827–1867  |
| Burton L. Stovall  | 1861  | Democratic  | 1812–1879  |
| Edward S. Cheatham | 1861–1862  | Whig  | 1818–1878  | The state government was replaced by a military government in 1862
| Samuel R. Rodgers | 1865  | Unionist  | 1798–1866  |
| Joshua B. Frierson  | 1865–1867  | Unionist  | 1806–1876  |
| Dewitt Clinton Senter | 1867–1869  | Republican | 1830–1898  | Became governor upon the resignation of William G. Brownlow
| Philip P.C. Nelson  | 1869  | Republican  | 1828–1880  |

### 1870–present

[edit]

The following is a list of people who have served as Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee (formal title: Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate) since the current Tennessee State Constitution was adopted in 1870. The title of Lieutenant Governor was formally added in 1951; however, the speaker of the Senate has been the designated successor to the governor of Tennessee since Tennessee achieved statehood in 1796. Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey (who served 2007-2017) was the first Republican to hold this office since the adoption of the current constitution, all previous ones having been Democrats.

Parties

Democratic Republican

Lieutenant governors of the State of Tennessee

No. | Image  | Name  | Term  | Party  | Governor(s) served under  | Life
1  |  | Dorsey B. Thomas | 1869–1871  | Democratic | None  | 1823–1897
2  |  | John C. Vaughn | 1871–1873  | Democratic  | 1824–1875
3  |  | A. T. Lacey | 1873–1875  | Democratic  | 1821–1878
4  |  | Thomas H. Paine | 1875–1877  | Democratic  | 1836–1903
5  |  | Hugh M. McAdoo | 1877–1879  | Democratic  | 1838–1894
6  |  | John R. Neal | 1879–1881  | Democratic  | 1836–1889
7  |  | George H. Morgan | 1881–1883  | Democratic  | 1841–1900
8  |  | Benjamin F. Alexander | 1883–1885  | Democratic  | 1849–1911
9  |  | Cabell R. Berry | 1885–1887  | Democratic  | 1848–1910
10  |  | Z. W. Ewing | 1887–1889  | Democratic  | 1843–1909
11  |  | Benjamin J. Lea | 1889–1891  | Democratic  | 1833–1894
12  |  | William C. Dismukes | 1891–1895  | Democratic  | 1850–1903
13  |  | Ernest Pillow | 1895–1897  | Democratic  | 1856–1904
14  |  | John Thompson  | 1897–1899  | Democratic  | 1852–1919
15  |  | Seid Waddell  | 1899–1901  | Democratic  | 1849–1921
16  |  | Newton H. White  | 1901–1903  | Democratic  | 1860–1931
17  |  | Edward T. Seay | 1903–1905  | Democratic  | 1868-1941
18  |  | John I. Cox[a] | 1905  | Democratic  | 1855–1946
19  |  | Ernest Rice  | 1905–1907  | Democratic  | 1872-1950
20  |  | E. G. Tollett  | 1907–1909  | Democratic  | 1864–1926
21  |  | William Kinney  | 1909–1911  | Democratic  | 1863–1928
22  |  | Nathaniel Baxter, Jr.  | 1911–1913  | Democratic  | 1844–1913
23  |  | Newton H. White  | 1913–1915  | Democratic  | 1860–1931
24  |  | Hugh C. Anderson | 1915  | Democratic  | 1851–1915
25  |  | Albert E. Hill | 1915–1917  | Democratic  | 1870–1933
26  |  | W. R. Crabtree  | 1917–1919  | Democratic  | 1867–1920
27  |  | Andrew L. Todd Sr. | 1919–1921  | Democratic  | 1872–1945
28  |  | William West Bond | 1921–1923  | Democratic  | 1884–1975
29  |  | Eugene J. Bryan  | 1923–1925  | Democratic  | 1888–1958
30  |  | Lucius D. Hill  | 1925–1927  | Democratic  | 1856–1933
31  |  | Henry Hollis Horton[b] | 1927  | Democratic  | 1866–1934
32  |  | Sam R. Bratton  | 1929–1931  | Democratic  | 1864–1936
33  |  | Scott Fitzhugh  | 1931  | Democratic  | 1888–1956
34  |  | Ambrose B. Broadbent | 1931–1933  | Democratic  | 1885–1952
35  |  | Albert F. Officer  | 1933–1935  | Democratic  | 1899–1965
36  |  | William P. Moss | 1935–1936  | Democratic  | 1897–1985
37  |  | Bryan Pope  | 1936–1939  | Democratic  | 1893–1973
38  |  | Blan R. Maxwell  | 1939–1943  | Democratic  | 1899–1943
39  |  | Joseph H. Ballew  | 1943–1945  | Democratic  | 1886–1972
40  |  | Larry Morgan  | 1945–1947  | Democratic  | 1896–1965
41  |  | George Oliver Benton  | 1947–1949  | Democratic  | 1915–2001
42  |  | Walter M. Haynes  | 1949–1953  | Democratic  | Gordon Browning | 1897–1967
43  |  | Jared Maddux | 1953–1959  | Democratic  | Frank G. Clement | 1912–1971
44  |  | William D. Baird  | 1959–1962  | Democratic  | Buford Ellington | 1906–1987
45  |  | James L. Bomar Jr. | 1963–1965  | Democratic  | Frank G. Clement | 1914–2001
46  |  | Jared Maddux  | 1965–1967  | Democratic  | Frank G. Clement | 1912–1971
47  |  | Frank Gorrell | 1967–1971  | Democratic  | Buford Ellington | 1927–1994
48  |  | John S. Wilder | 1971–2007  | Democratic  | Winfield Dunn, Ray Blanton, Lamar Alexander, Ned McWherter, Don Sundquist, Phil Bredesen | 1921–2010
49  |  | Ron Ramsey | 2007–2017  | Republican  | Phil Bredesen, Bill Haslam | b. 1955
50  |  | Randy McNally | 2017–present  | Republican  | Bill Haslam, Bill Lee | b. 1944

1. ^ John I. Cox became governor of Tennessee on March 21, 1905, when Governor James B. Frazier arranged his own appointment to a vacant United States Senate seat and then resigned as governor.
2. ^ Henry H. Horton became governor of Tennessee on October 3, 1927, upon the death of Governor Austin Peay. The legislature at the time met on a biennial basis, so the position of Speaker of the Senate remained vacant until January 1929. During this period, the designated successor to the governor was Selden Maiden, Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries". Retrieved 2024-02-01.
2. ^ The five-man council was the upper chamber of the territorial legislature. Its members were appointed by the President of the United States, and the council president was elected by the five members. The council president was not the first in line of succession (this role fell to the Territorial Secretary).
3. ^ Historical Constitutional Officers of Tennessee, 1796 - Present, Territory South of the River Ohio, 1790 - 1796. Retrieved: 29 November 2012.

## External links

[edit]

* v
* t
* e

Officers of the State of Tennessee

Executive offices|

* Governor
* Lieutenant Governor

Legislative offices|

* Speaker of the Senate
* Speaker of the House of Representatives
* Secretary of State
* State Treasurer
* State Comptroller

Judicial offices|

* Tennessee Supreme Court
* Attorney General

* v
* t
* e

State of Tennessee

Nashville (capital)

Topics|

* Abortion
* Cannabis
* Climate change
* Name
* History
* Outline
* Geography
* Gun laws
* Homelessness
* Tennesseans
* African Americans
* LGBT rights
* Mass media
* newspapers
* radio
* TV
* Constitution
* Elections
* Governor
* list
* Lieutenant Governor
* General Assembly
* Supreme Court
* Tennessee National Guard
* Law enforcement
* Symbols
* Tourist attractions

Culture|

* Colleges and universities
* Crime
* Demographics
* Economy
* Education
* Literature
* Music
* Media
* newspapers
* radio
* TV

Grand Divisions|

* East
* Middle
* West

Regions|

* Blue Ridge Mountains
* Cumberland Mountains
* Cumberland Plateau
* Great Appalachian Valley
* Highland Rim
* Mississippi Alluvial Plain
* Mississippi embayment
* Nashville Basin
* Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians
* Tennessee Valley
* Tri-Cities

Largest cities|

* Nashville
* Memphis
* Knoxville
* Chattanooga
* Clarksville
* Murfreesboro
* Franklin
* Johnson City
* Jackson
* Hendersonville

Metropolitan areas|

* Chattanooga
* Clarksville
* Cleveland
* Jackson
* Johnson City
* Kingsport–Bristol–Bristol
* Knoxville
* Memphis
* Morristown
* Nashville

Combined
statistical areas|

* Chattanooga–Cleveland–Dalton

Micropolitan areas|

* Cookeville
* Tullahoma–Manchester
* Union City

Counties|

* Anderson
* Bedford
* Benton
* Bledsoe
* Blount
* Bradley
* Campbell
* Cannon
* Carroll
* Carter
* Cheatham
* Chester
* Claiborne
* Clay
* Cocke
* Coffee
* Crockett
* Cumberland
* Davidson
* Decatur
* DeKalb
* Dickson
* Dyer
* Fayette
* Fentress
* Franklin
* Gibson
* Giles
* Grainger
* Greene
* Grundy
* Hamblen
* Hamilton
* Hancock
* Hardeman
* Hardin
* Hawkins
* Haywood
* Henderson
* Henry
* Hickman
* Houston
* Humphreys
* Jackson
* Jefferson
* Johnson
* Knox
* Lake
* Lauderdale
* Lawrence
* Lewis
* Lincoln
* Loudon
* Macon
* Madison
* Marion
* Marshall
* Maury
* McMinn
* McNairy
* Meigs
* Monroe
* Montgomery
* Moore
* Morgan
* Obion
* Overton
* Perry
* Pickett
* Polk
* Putnam
* Rhea
* Roane
* Robertson
* Rutherford
* Scott
* Sequatchie
* Sevier
* Shelby
* Smith
* Stewart
* Sullivan
* Sumner
* Tipton
* Trousdale
* Unicoi
* Union
* Van Buren
* Warren
* Washington
* Wayne
* Weakley
* White
* Williamson
* Wilson

Tennessee portal

* v
* t
* e

Lieutenant governors in the United States

Vice President of the United States: ▌JD Vance (R)

▌Ainsworth (R)

▌Dahlstrom (R)

▌Fontes (D)1

▌Rutledge (R)

▌Kounalakis (D)

▌Primavera (D)

▌Bysiewicz (D)

▌Gay (D)

▌Nuñez (R)

▌Jones (R)

▌Luke (D)

▌Bedke (R)

▌Stratton (D)

▌Beckwith (R)

▌Cournoyer (R)

▌Toland (D)

▌Coleman (D)

▌Nungesser (R)

▌Daughtry (D)2

▌Miller (D)

▌Driscoll (D)

▌Gilchrist (D)

▌Flanagan (DFL)

▌Hosemann (R)

▌Wasinger (R)

▌Juras (R)

▌Kelly (R)

▌Anthony (R)

▌Carson (R)2

▌Way (D)

▌Morales (D)

▌Delgado (D)

▌Hunt (D)

▌Strinden (R)

▌McColley (R)*2

▌Pinnell (R)

▌Read (D)1

▌Davis (D)

▌Matos (D)

▌Evette (R)

▌Venhuizen (R)

▌McNally (R)2

▌Patrick (R)

▌Henderson (R)

▌Rodgers (R)

▌Earle-Sears (R)

▌Heck (D)

▌Smith (R)2

▌Rodriguez (D)

▌Gray (R)1

Federal districts:

▌Mendelson (D)3

Territories:

▌Ae (R)

▌Tenorio (D)

▌Apatang (I)

▌Ferraiuoli (PNP/D)*1

▌Roach (D)

An asterisk indicates an Acting Lt. Governor

Italics indicate next-in-line of succession for states and territories without a directly elected lieutenant governor or whose lieutenant governor office is vacant:

* 1\. Secretary of State
* 2\. President of the Senate
* 3\. Council Chair

Political party affiliation

* ▌Republican: 28 (27 states, 1 territory)
* ▌Democratic: 26 (23 states, 2 territories, 1 district)
* ▌New Progressive: 1 (1 territory)
* ▌Independent: 1 (1 territory)

* v
* t
* e

United States lieutenant governors by political division

States|

* Alabama
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* list
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York
* list
* North Carolina
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* list
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah
* Vermont
* Virginia
* Washington
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin

Insular areas|

* American Samoa
* Guam
* Northern Mariana Islands
* U.S. Virgin Islands

Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico do not have lieutenant governors.
*[No.]: Number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template