Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
State flag
Privy Seal of the State of Wisconsin
Incumbent Sara Rodriguez since January 3, 2023
Government of Wisconsin
Style	Mr. or Madam Lieutenant Governor (informal) The Honorable (formal)
Term length	Four years, no term limit
Constituting instrument	Wisconsin Constitution, Article V
Inaugural holder	John Edwin Holmes
Formation	June 7, 1848 (177 years ago) (June 7, 1848)
Succession	First
Salary	$80,684
Website	Official page: https://evers.wi.gov/ltgov/Pages/default.aspx

The lieutenant governor of Wisconsin is an important leader in the Wisconsin state government. This person is the first in line to take over if the governor of Wisconsin cannot do their job. This means they would become governor if the current governor dies, resigns, is removed from office, or becomes too sick to serve.

Wisconsin has had 41 different lieutenant governors since it became a state in 1848. Two of them, Warren Knowles and Jack Olson, served more than one term, but not in a row. The first lieutenant governor was John Holmes, who started on June 7, 1848. Today, the lieutenant governor is Sara Rodriguez, who began her term on January 3, 2023.

What Happens if the Governor Can't Serve?

The lieutenant governor's main role is to be ready to step in for the governor. This is called the "line of succession."

Becoming Governor

Before 1979, the state's rules said that if the governor couldn't serve, the lieutenant governor would take over their "powers and duties." This meant they would act as governor. People in this role were called "acting governors."

In 1979, the rules were updated. Now, if the governor dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the lieutenant governor officially becomes the new governor. If the governor is temporarily unable to serve, like if they are out of the state or sick, the lieutenant governor becomes the "acting governor" until the governor can return to their duties.

How the Lieutenant Governor is Chosen

The lieutenant governor is elected by the people of Wisconsin. They serve for a set amount of time.

Elections and Term Length

When Wisconsin first became a state, the lieutenant governor was elected separately from the governor. This meant they could sometimes be from different political parties.

In 1967, the rules changed. Now, the governor and lieutenant governor run for office together as a "ticket." This means you vote for both of them at the same time. This change also made their term of office four years long. There is no limit to how many terms a lieutenant governor can serve.

What if the Office is Empty?

Sometimes, the office of lieutenant governor becomes empty. This can happen if the lieutenant governor resigns or becomes governor.

For a long time, if the office became empty, it would just stay empty until the next election. But in 1979, the rules changed again. Now, if the lieutenant governor's office becomes empty, the governor can choose someone to fill the spot. This person then needs to be approved by the Wisconsin Assembly and Wisconsin State Senate. If approved, they serve for the rest of the term.

How a Lieutenant Governor Can Leave Office

A lieutenant governor can leave office in a few ways:

• They can choose to resign.
• They can be removed from office through a process called impeachment. This is a serious process where they are accused of wrongdoing and a trial is held.
• They can face a recall election. This is when citizens vote to remove an elected official from office before their term ends.

So far, no lieutenant governor in Wisconsin has ever been impeached. Two have resigned. Rebecca Kleefisch is the only lieutenant governor in any state to face a recall election. This happened in 2012, and she won the election.

What Does the Lieutenant Governor Do?

The lieutenant governor has specific duties and powers.

Powers and Responsibilities

The lieutenant governor can represent the governor on different state boards, committees, or commissions. When they do, they have the same authority as the governor in that role.

In the past, the lieutenant governor used to lead the Wisconsin State Senate. They would also cast a vote if there was a tie. However, this changed in 1979. Now, the state senate chooses one of its own members to be the presiding officer.

Who Has Been Lieutenant Governor?

Wisconsin has had many lieutenant governors throughout its history.

Before Wisconsin became a state in 1848, it was a territory. There wasn't a "Territorial Lieutenant Governor." However, there was a Secretary who would take over for the territorial governor if needed. You can find more about them in the List of secretaries of Wisconsin Territory.

Wisconsin officially joined the United States on May 29, 1848. Since then, 41 people have served as lieutenant governor. As mentioned, two of them served non-consecutive terms, meaning they held the office, left, and then came back to serve again later.

Parties

      Democratic (16)       Whig (0)       Republican (27)       Progressive (2)

#	Image	Lt. Governor	Party	Took office	Left office	Governor	Term(s)
1		John E. Holmes	Democratic	June 7, 1848	January 7, 1850	Nelson Dewey	1
2		Samuel W. Beall	Democratic	January 7, 1850	January 5, 1852	Nelson Dewey	1
3		Timothy Burns	Democratic	January 5, 1852	September 21, 1853	Leonard Farwell	1⁄2
vacant				September 21, 1853	January 2, 1854	Leonard Farwell	1⁄2
4		James T. Lewis	Democratic	January 2, 1854	January 7, 1856	William Barstow	1
5		Arthur MacArthur Sr.	Democratic	January 7, 1856	March 21, 1856	William Barstow	1⁄3
		MacArthur acting as governor		March 21, 1856	March 25, 1856	Arthur MacArthur Sr.	1⁄3
		Arthur MacArthur Sr.	Democratic	March 25, 1856	January 4, 1858	Coles Bashford	1⁄3
6		Erasmus D. Campbell	Democratic	January 4, 1858	January 2, 1860	Alexander Randall	1
7		Butler G. Noble	Republican	January 2, 1860	January 6, 1862	Alexander Randall	1
8		Edward Salomon	Republican	January 6, 1862	April 19, 1862	Louis Harvey	1⁄2
		Salomon acting as governor		April 19, 1862	January 4, 1864	Edward Salomon	1⁄2
vacant				January 4, 1864	by January 13, 1864	James Lewis	1⁄2
9		Wyman Spooner	Republican	by January 13, 1864	January 3, 1870	James Lewis	21⁄2
						Lucius Fairchild
10		Thaddeus C. Pound	Republican	January 3, 1870	January 1, 1872	Lucius Fairchild	1
11		Milton H. Pettit	Republican	January 1, 1872	March 23, 1873	Cadwallader Washburn	1⁄2
vacant				March 23, 1873	January 5, 1874	Cadwallader Washburn	1⁄2
12		Charles D. Parker	Democratic	January 5, 1874	January 7, 1878	William Taylor	2
						Harrison Ludington
13		James M. Bingham	Republican	January 7, 1878	January 2, 1882	William Smith	2
14		Sam S. Fifield	Republican	January 2, 1882	January 3, 1887	Jeremiah Rusk	2
15		George W. Ryland	Republican	January 3, 1887	January 5, 1891	Jeremiah Rusk	2
						William Hoard
16		Charles Jonas	Democratic	January 5, 1891	April 4, 1894	George Peck	11⁄2
vacant				April 4, 1894	January 7, 1895	George Peck	1⁄2
17		Emil Baensch	Republican	January 7, 1895	January 2, 1899	William Upham	2
						Edward Scofield
18		Jesse Stone	Republican	January 2, 1899	May 11, 1902	Edward Scofield	11⁄2
						Robert La Follette Sr.
vacant				May 11, 1902	January 5, 1903	Robert La Follette Sr.	1⁄2
19		James O. Davidson	Republican	January 5, 1903	January 1, 1906	Robert La Follette Sr.	11⁄2
		Davidson acting as governor		January 1, 1906	January 7, 1907	James Davidson	1⁄2
20		William D. Connor	Republican	January 7, 1907	January 4, 1909	James Davidson	1
21		John Strange	Republican	January 4, 1909	January 2, 1911	James Davidson	1
22		Thomas Morris	Republican	January 2, 1911	January 4, 1915	Francis McGovern	2
23		Edward F. Dithmar	Republican	January 4, 1915	January 3, 1921	Emanuel Philipp	3
24		George F. Comings	Republican	January 3, 1921	January 5, 1925	John Blaine	2
25		Henry A. Huber	Republican	January 5, 1925	January 2, 1933	John Blaine	4
						Fred R. Zimmerman
						Walter Kohler Sr.
						Philip La Follette
26		Thomas J. O'Malley	Democratic	January 2, 1933	May 27, 1936	Albert Schmedeman	11⁄2
						Philip La Follette
vacant				May 27, 1936	January 4, 1937	Philip La Follette	1⁄2
27		Henry A. Gunderson	Progressive	January 4, 1937	October 16, 1937	Philip La Follette	1⁄3
vacant				October 16, 1937	May 16, 1938	Philip La Follette	1⁄3
28		Herman L. Ekern	Progressive	May 16, 1938	January 2, 1939	Philip La Follette	1⁄3
29		Walter S. Goodland	Republican	January 2, 1939	January 4, 1943	Julius Heil	2
		Goodland acting as governor		January 4, 1943	January 1, 1945	Walter Goodland	1
30		Oscar Rennebohm	Republican	January 1, 1945	March 12, 1947	Walter Goodland	11⁄2
		Rennebohm acting as governor		March 12, 1947	January 3, 1949	Oscar Rennebohm	1⁄2
31		George M. Smith	Republican	January 3, 1949	January 3, 1955	Oscar Rennebohm	3
						Walter Kohler Jr.
32		Warren P. Knowles	Republican	January 3, 1955	January 5, 1959	Walter Kohler Jr.	2
						Vernon Thomson
33		Philleo Nash	Democratic	January 5, 1959	January 2, 1961	Gaylord Nelson	1
34		Warren P. Knowles	Republican	January 2, 1961	January 7, 1963	Gaylord Nelson	1
35		Jack B. Olson	Republican	January 7, 1963	January 4, 1965	John Reynolds	1
36		Patrick J. Lucey	Democratic	January 4, 1965	January 2, 1967	Warren Knowles	1
37		Jack B. Olson	Republican	January 2, 1967	January 4, 1971	Warren Knowles	2
38		Martin J. Schreiber	Democratic	January 4, 1971	July 6, 1977	Patrick Lucey	11⁄2
		Schreiber acting as governor		July 6, 1977	January 3, 1979	Martin Schreiber	1⁄2
39		Russell A. Olson	Republican	January 3, 1979	January 3, 1983	Lee Dreyfus	1
40		James Flynn	Democratic	January 3, 1983	January 5, 1987	Anthony Earl	1
41		Scott McCallum	Republican	January 5, 1987	February 1, 2001	Tommy Thompson	31⁄3
vacant				February 1, 2001	May 9, 2001	Scott McCallum	1⁄3
42		Margaret A. Farrow	Republican	May 9, 2001	January 6, 2003	Scott McCallum	1⁄3
43		Barbara Lawton	Democratic	January 6, 2003	January 3, 2011	Jim Doyle	2
44		Rebecca Kleefisch	Republican	January 3, 2011	January 7, 2019	Scott Walker	2
45		Mandela Barnes	Democratic	January 7, 2019	January 3, 2023	Tony Evers	1
46		Sara Rodriguez	Democratic	January 3, 2023	Incumbent		1